


Jumping In

by moonlight_1201



Series: Iris Collection [4]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angry Chloe Decker, Christmas, Cute Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Daddy Issues, Daughters, Driving, Ella Lopez Finds Out, Engagement, Established Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Scared Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Sisters, Soft Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Step-Parent Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Summer, Swimming, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28845105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_1201/pseuds/moonlight_1201
Summary: Iris hits the dreaded Terrible Twos. Lucifer learns more about being a father and step-father, especially in the things he is willing to do for the girls. Chloe and Lucifer hit a complicated snag in parenting, but work together to get through it...all leading up to one very special day.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Original Female Character(s), Chloe Decker & Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Mazikeen & Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Trixie Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Iris Collection [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099817
Comments: 52
Kudos: 166





	1. Seeing Santa

**Author's Note:**

> It's nearing Christmas-time, and as a way to keep Iris occupied, Chloe and Trixie agree that she should get to go meet Santa at the mall. Have Lucifer and Maze take her! That sounds...safe. *gulp*

"So," Chloe asked as she sat at the breakfast table that morning with a steamy mug of coffee, "what're everybody's plans today?"

Trixie made a noise as she chewed the rest of her PopTart, "I only have two finals today, and then I'm going to Dad's."

Chloe nodded and agreed, "Right, okay, we'll see you tomorrow then."

Now that Trixie was in high school, the custody agreement Chloe and Dan had settled on in their divorce became much more lax. Trixie was getting older and thus gaining more and more freedom. She still wanted to spend time with both of her parents, but sometimes things got busy and it'd just be easier for her to spend a few days in a row at either Chloe's or Dan's house. Trixie had just had a very stressful week of final exams, so she decided to just stay at home (Chloe's) until they were finished. Now she planned on making up for lost time with her Dad. 

"Urchin, haven't I warned you about eating those disgusting processed pastries?" Lucifer pointed at the Strawberry PopTarts with a fruit knife. "I've seen what those have done to people, and it is not pleasant."

Trixie rolled her eyes and replied, "I'm in a rush!"

Lucifer sassed, "Well you wouldn't be in a rush if you'd wake up more than ten minutes before you had to leave."

"Okay, _Mom_." Trixie muttered, which made Chloe laugh. 

Before Lucifer could come up with another smart remark, there was a knock at the front door and then it opened. 

"Hello?" Dan called into the house, here to take Trixie to school before heading to work. 

"Hey Dad, I'll be there in a minute!" Trixie called over her shoulder as she threw her paper plate in the garbage can and grabbed her backpack from the floor. 

"I'm here too!" Maze called into the house. 

"Aunty May!" Iris yelled. 

Maze's boots made pretty loud clunking noises as she casually strode into the kitchen. 

"What's up my girl gang?" She smirked. 

"Hey Maze," Trixie smiled and gave Maze a fist bump as she walked by.

Iris started squealing and ran out of her chair to go hug Maze. 

"Hey little devil," Maze smiled as she lifted Iris up in her arms. Iris began rambling all about completely random things ranging from her favorite shows, something Trixie did, something about coloring, and a whole bunch of randomness that Maze could not follow in the slightest. 

"Thanks again for babysitting, Maze." Chloe said as she finished her coffee and took her mug over to the sink. 

"No problem," Maze replied, "she's actually pretty cool."

Chloe laughed and then asked, "So what're you two gonna do today?"

"Um, I don't know." Maze shrugged, "What ever the kid wants to do, which is probably watch the same TV show over and over again, and then make me chase her around."

"Sounds fun!" Trixie said. 

During a moment of no one speaking, Chloe looked down at her phone and scrolled through it. Iris wanted to get down and take Maze into her play room to start playing with her toys. A few seconds later, Chloe hesitated and then said, "Hmm, no new cases yet today. I guess this means I can catch up on the piles of paper work I have to do before the holidays."

She grumbled and shook her head, and then Lucifer groaned pretty loudly, "For goodness sake! I thought death rates were supposed to go up during the holidays! We've hardly have any cases this month!"

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him and retorted, "Lucifer! We actually _don't_ want people to get murdered, so it's good that we have less work to do."

"Yes but detective work is fun!" He argued, "there's no fun in paper work."

Chloe took a breath and offered, "You don't have to go into work today if there's no case. You can stay here with Iris and then Maze has her day to herself."

Lucifer hesitated, and during his hesitation, Maze said, "I really don't mind. I've been meaning to have her start learning to use that baby-knife I got her anyway."

Chloe's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously at Lucifer. 

"Fine," He huffed, "I'll stay here, maybe I'll even pop over to Lux for a little bit, and Maze can babysit the offspring."

"You know," Trixie spoke up as she was getting her shoes on, "I think Santa's at the mall. Iris is getting to the age where she understands that stuff. Maybe you and Maze could take her to see Santa Claus today?"

Lucifer's eyes widened at the notion and Dan laughed. Chloe, on the other hand, smiled and agreed, "That sounds like a great idea! I want Iris to believe in Santa Claus at least for a few years. Why don't you and Maze take her to the mall, let her talk to Santa a little bit, and then go to the park or something. Just get out of the house for a few hours."

Lucifer looked around the room, completely horrified. 

"Chlo," Dan intervened, "You really want _them_ to take your daughter to see Santa? With all the screaming kids around?"

Both Maze and Lucifer grimaced. 

"For as douchy and insulting as that was intended to be, I actually agree with Daniel." Lucifer added before calling Iris over to eat the pancakes and bananas he made for her. 

"Why don't we ask her?" Chloe suggested as she sat down at the table next to Iris. 

As the little girl was chewing on her pancakes, Chloe asked, "Iris, do you remember that story Mommy read to you before bed last night? The one about Santa Claus and he brought presents to all the good little girls and boys on Christmas."

"Yes," Iris said with a nod. 

Chloe brushed a lock of dark hair out of her daughter's face before she could get it in her breakfast. 

"Do you want to go meet Santa today?" Chloe asked. 

Iris's head shot right up. She beamed and said very loudly, "YEAH!"

Chloe smiled up at Lucifer with her chin tilted upward. She stood out of the chair and went over to kiss a dumbfounded Lucifer's cheek and said, "Take lots of pictures for me."

Maze hit her thighs as she stood up from the floor and decided, "Guess you better finish your breakfast and get dressed kid. You're gonna go sit on some old fat guy's lap today."

Maze got quite a few dirty looks for that comment, except from Iris, who was bursting with excitement because she is going to meet Santa Claus for the very first time today.

***

"Mazikeen," Lucifer said rather quietly, "I don't think we're on Earth anymore. This is most definitely something designed by Hell for torture."

The usually pristine and open mall had been converted into "The North Pole" for the month. Everywhere you looked, there were tiny little houses covered in snow, fake snowmen, cardboard elf cutouts, and it all basically looked like Christmas threw up. 

A line of parents and crying, snotty offspring, that wrapped around the entire ground floor, waited while one child at a time sat on Santa's lap and got their picture taken. Most of them cried and screamed while their parents fought for every perfect angle. 

"It's so gross," Maze muttered and grimaced as a crying little boy walked past her. 

After a moment, Iris gasped and pointed toward the front of the line, "Daddy, Daddy, wook! Santa!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Lucifer said impatiently. Then he said to Maze, "It's bloody embarrassing but also explains very well why most people are so selfish. All of these urchins are raised thinking only about what they want, and they cry when they don't get it. Like," He dropped his voice to a whisper, "Santa is not getting Iris presents. The detective and I are getting her things she doesn't even know she wants."

Maze laughed dryly and asked, "I thought you'd like this; little humans going after their greatest desires. That's your whole thing."

Lucifer grumbled, "No, my _thing_ is more self-liberation, getting humans to realize what they're deepest desires are and going after them. There's a difference!"

Maze rolled her eyes, it really didn't seem like there was. 

"Even this," Lucifer gestured around them, "is all commercial and just another way for parents to lie to their children. Santa Claus comes from different legends throughout the world and each country has their own tradition. So not only is this all one big deception, but it's historically inaccurate."

"I warned you and Amenadiel about this," Maze argued, "the more you give your kids, the more spoiled they'll be. Plus, don't you recognize the concept of this Santa stuff from anywhere?"

Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, so Maze explained, "Enticing people into good things for a hypothetical reward, and if you aren't good enough, you get punished? That sounds a whole lot like your dad to me."

Lucifer lightly scoffed but said, "Well, technically it is a holiday dedicated to Him, and this just ties back into the historically inaccurate legends. But, you do have a point about Dad's manipulations, I'll give you that."

He made a step to turn around and said, "Come on Bullet, we're going home. This is a load of bull-"

"Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas." A very bored teenaged elf underwhelmingly greeted them. "How're you little girl? Are you ready to see Santa?"

Lucifer turned back around to figure out where the tortured voice was coming from. That was when he realized that they had reached the front of the line. 

"Santa!" Iris exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Before Lucifer could stop her, she ran with the poor-excuse for a North Pole employee toward the man in a red suit sitting in a grand chair in the middle of the stage. 

"Are you interested in purchasing a photo package today?" The teenager flatly asked Lucifer and Maze. 

Lucifer grimaced and said, "No, I've got it."

Maze followed Iris up to Santa Claus, trailing her closely. 

"Santa! Santa!" Iris greeted, beaming up at the old man. He chuckled and looked down at her, smiling. 

"Oh, hello there!" The mall Santa greeted Iris with about the same amount of jolliness that usually describes him in books and movies. "Would you like to come sit on Santa's knee?" He asked, patting his knee.

Iris nodded with a very bright smile and, reluctantly, Maze lifted her up. 

Maze leaned in close to the man, seeing that at least his beard was genuine and not one of those horrible fake ones, but he still smelled a little funny, faintly like a gym locker. 

"I'm watching you." She warned in a husky whisper, "No funny business."

Santa chuckled awkwardly as Maze stalked away, keeping an eye on him from over her shoulder. 

Lucifer and Maze stood on the other side of the stage, just behind the horrible elf. 

"The detective asked me to get pictures. I'm not supporting this business of deception though." He grumbled as he pulled his cellphone to take a few pictures. 

So far, there didn't seem to be any funny business like Maze feared. Iris was perched on one of Santa's legs, but he only hovered his left hand behind her back to steady her in case she fell off balance. 

He heard the mall Santa say, "What's your name?"

"Iwis." Iris replied. 

"And have you been a good girl this year, Iris?" Santa followed up. 

Iris gave a dramatic nod of her head, bringing her body with her, as she kept up her large smile. 

Santa smiled brightly too, making his eyes twinkle some, "Ho ho ho, well that's great! Is that your mommy and daddy over there?" He asked, pointing toward Maze and Lucifer. 

Iris shook her head and pointed at Lucifer first, "That Daddy." Then she pointed at Maze and said, "That Auntie May. Mommy working"

" _Oh_ Auntie May," Santa clarified, "Do you know what your mommy does for work?"

Iris had become fascinated with Santa's beard so she began running her fingers through the strange texture. 

"Mommy is a powice wady." Iris explained. 

"Oh, she's a police lady?" Santa asked. 

"Yes." Iris replied. 

The elf cleared his throat and tilted his head back toward the extremely long line of children and parents. 

Santa nodded in his direction and then said, "Well Iris, if you keep up the good work being a good girl for your Mommy, Daddy, and Auntie May, Santa promises that you'll have a wonderful Christmas."

Iris nodded and giggled. Then Santa asked, "Would you like a candy cane?"

He reached to the side of his chair and picked out a small red and white candy cane in plastic packaging. 

"Yes," Iris said, reaching her hands forward for it. 

"Iris, what do you say?" Lucifer called out from his spot on the other side of the stage. Now that Iris is getting older, the detective says it's important to keep reminding her of manners. 

"Peez." (Please) Iris corrected herself. 

Santa chuckled and handed her the candy cane. Then he helped Iris get back to the floor. 

"Thank oo!" (Thank you) Iris said with a wave as she toddled back over to Lucifer and Maze.

"You're very welcome Iris, and have a Merry Christmas!" Santa called out with a wave. Then he let out his big, jolly laugh as another child took their turn with him. 

"Thank goodness that's over." Lucifer sighed as he reluctantly let Iris grab onto his fingers. He doesn't particularly mind his own urchin holding his hand, he just knows she's susceptible to sticky fingers as well. 

"Daddy I gots a candy cane!" Iris exclaimed, holding the small candy up so that he could see it. 

"I see." Lucifer said with a small smile, "You can have it in the car."

"Yay!" Iris jumped and skipped, her smile still so bright. 

Lucifer didn't notice her until they passed by, but a rather attractive mom with a small boy, not that much older than Iris, said in a low husky voice, "Mmm, Santa _baby_."

Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows a little bit. He saw the mom's flirtatious gaze as they kept walking toward Santa Claus. Lucifer knew flirting when he saw it, he just didn't understand why this woman was flirting.

"Who was she talking to? Did she like Bullet's outfit?" He asked. Iris was very excited about her outfit today. It was a Santa-suit dress with white fluffy cuffs and a collar, as well as red velvet everywhere else. Lucifer had her wear black leggings underneath it so that she'd be more comfortable, as well as little black flats. He supposed she did look like a Santa-baby today.

Maze snorted and rolled her eyes, "Damn, have the kids changed you that much? She's talking to you, dumbass!"

Lucifer's eyebrows shot up and his mouth formed and 'o'. His first instinct was to look slyly back at the woman, perhaps go up and charm her, but a sound like a loud alarm went off in his head as soon as he thought it and he immediately felt guilty and ashamed. 

"Right," He sighed. Lucifer decided not to say anymore on the topic and he kept walking with Iris and Maze back to the car. He can't believe he slipped like that. He and the detective are supposed to be married in a few months! Plus, he's there with their child, he can't flirt with other woman in front of his own child, especially when he's betrothed to her mother! It's just all kinds of wrong to him. 

As they got back to the four-door sports car Lucifer had pulled out of storage for today, he buckled Iris into her car seat in the back, and he finally opened up her candy cane after she began constantly pestering him about it.

When they were pulling out of the parking lot, Iris asked, "Daddy can we pay Jinga Bews?"

Lucifer sighed but he glanced at Iris out of his rear view mirror and smiled. "One Jingle Bells coming right up. Maze?"

Maze rolled her eyes but typed the song into her phone. It played through the car's speakers and Iris giggled, "Yay!" and then began singing along the best she could. 

While Iris continued babbling and singing in her own little world in the back, Maze asked lowly, "When did we change so much?"

"Pardon?" Lucifer asked. 

"You know what I mean," Maze huffed, "when did we become soft and allow human spawn to have us at their beck-and-call?"

Lucifer chuckled lightly and smiled as he glanced back at his daughter from the rear view mirror again, "I think we can both agree that the change wasn't necessarily welcome but needed."

Maze crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Maybe."

She looked out the window for a few seconds and then grumbled, "I would do anything for these kids...for Iris, Trixie, and Charlie, you know?"

Lucifer continued to look straight ahead as he darkly replied, "I know you would. You've already threatened me, and fought your siblings and mine in order to give Iris and Charlie a chance at a normal life. Nobody's questioning how you feel about them, Maze."

"Oh, I was actually referring to spending the day at the mall's North Pole, but yeah, I guess that too. Lucifer, I'd fight your siblings on any given day, I don't need a reason besides they're being them." She clarified

Lucifer laughed out loud and said, "Agreed! And yes, that display was bloody torture, but...look how happy it made her."

Maze turned around in her seat and gave Iris a small quirk of her lips. 

Iris's face was stained red and sticky from the small candy cane. How that small thing missed her mouth, Maze and Lucifer had no idea, but it did. 

Iris waved a small hand at Maze as she sucked on the bit of candy cane that did get in her mouth. Maze wiggled a few fingers back at her.

"I'm still teaching her the knives before she starts school, though." Maze added as she turned back around. 

A small crease formed on Lucifer's forehead as he replied, "Oh I bloody count on it. You've seen how chaotic these other human spawn can be! My daughter will need to know how to defend herself!"

Maze smiled proudly as she thought about what she should start with. She supposed she should have Trixie help her pick out another good starter knife for Iris and then Maze can give it to her for Christmas. Then she'd have two knives to practice with.

And little Iris, completely oblivious and happy in the back seat, had no idea that she had Hell's fiercest torturer and the devil wrapped around her little fingers, completely in love with her. As she grows older, she'll realize how incredible that concept is, but also how terrifyingly dangerous. For now, everything was wonderful.


	2. Pool Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that summer is in full swing, and Chloe needs a break from the stress of wedding planning, the four of them decide to head out to the pool in their backyard for a swim day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has got to be one of my favorite chapters so far. So much father-daughter fluff in here!

As a way to officially kick off the summer, Chloe planned to spend all day lounging in a plush lawn chair out on the back patio that afternoon. The UV index was moderately high and she had the day off of work today, so she fully intended on getting some color to her skin. Considering she had some free time, Chloe knew that she _should_ be going over wedding details. As excited as she is for it, she remembers why she and Dan eloped and why she wanted a very small affair with Pierce. Wedding planning is a major headache. Instead, Chloe decided that the bride needed a break and she could look at color schemes and whatever else she needs to verify tomorrow.

After seeing Chloe getting ready to spend the day in the backyard, of course, Iris wanted to swim. Her vocabulary has improved so much, and she loves to talk. Chloe swears that if Iris is doing anything besides sleeping, she's talking. Thankfully, Trixie came downstairs at the same time Iris was asking and said that she'd swim in the pool with her little sister while Chloe watched from the patio (or did whatever she wanted).

Secretly, Chloe thought that the best thing about having one child so much older than the other is that she has a free babysitter (but don't tell anyone that).

Before heading outside, Chloe helped Iris into her pink one-piece swimsuit with white daisies on it. She pulled her daughter's hair back into two matching pig-tails, and gathered up everything she would need for the pool: floaties, toys, sunscreen, a towel, and a hat.

As Iris ran down the stairs ahead of her, the toddler realized that somebody was missing from their family pool day.

"Daddy!" Chloe heard Iris screech as she ran around the house looking for Lucifer.

Chloe chuckled to herself and headed out into the backyard with all of the stuff and Trixie, who was now dressed for the pool in a cute red bikini.

"She'll probably run out here in a few," Chloe said, setting the towels and other necessities down on her favorite pool chair.

She and Trixie sprayed themselves with sunscreen, and just as they were finishing up, the back door slid open and Iris came running out onto the concrete.

"Daddy comin'!" She announced, running over to Chloe with her small legs.

Chloe chuckled and shook her head. She thought Lucifer was supposed to be talking to a caterer for the wedding, but apparently he wasn't that busy.

"Arms up. Let Mommy spray you." Chloe told her as she held up the can of kids' sunscreen.

Iris held her arms up over her head and squeezed her eyes shut as Chloe sprayed her pale limbs down with sunscreen.

After the sunscreen had dried, Trixie helped Iris put on small pink arm floaties.

Iris loved swimming, but she was still pretty small and got tired quickly. The swimming lessons Chloe signed her up for were supposed to start in two weeks, but Iris practiced whenever somebody else wanted to go in the pool. For now, and even until she becomes quite a bit older, she would need constant adult supervision in and around the pool.

Just as Iris was toddling over to the pool's stairs, the back door opened again, and out came Lucifer in a pair of black swim trunks, sunglasses, and a towel slung over his shoulder. This is actually the only pair of trunks he owns. To Chloe's horror but not shock, when they first moved here and wanted to use the pool by themselves, she learned that Lucifer did not have one legitimate pair of swim bottoms. She forced him to go shopping with her the next day. Maybe another pair or two would make a good present here in the next couple weeks?

"Daddy!" Iris called with a wave and a big smile.

"Be with you in a moment darling." Lucifer replied, setting his towel and sunglasses down on the chair next to Chloe's.

"Did you talk to the caterers?" Chloe asked, looking up at him through her large dark sunglasses. 

He nodded and replied, "Yes, everything is taken care of."

Chloe smiled, feeling immensely relieved that something was squared away for the wedding. 

Like a child, Lucifer ran around to the side of the pool and dove into the deepest end, making a large splash and waves as he hit the water. 

Iris screamed, laughed, and clapped from the top of the stairs. 

Lucifer came up a few seconds later, tossed his wet hair out of his face, and wiped the water from his eyes. He smiled over at Iris before he swam to the shallow end. 

"Can I do that?" Iris asked excitedly. 

"What, jump in? Of course you can!" Lucifer chuckled as he stood up to full height. 

Chloe watched them, but mostly Lucifer. In the shallow end of the pool, the water only came up to right below his waist, and she had a full view of his perfectly sculpted abs and flat six-pack. He brought his arms up to push his dark and wet hair back against his head. The water from the pool made his skin look sleek and shiny under the sun. Her stomach muscles tightened and the space in between her legs warmed. Chloe thought it would be a great idea to maybe find some time tonight to practice for their wedding night. 

Iris stepped in front of her view just then and shook Chloe from her stupor. 

The little girl stood on the deck in front of the water. Lucifer crouched down, so now his shoulders were just breaking above the water. He held his arms up and out to Iris. 

"Just jump in, I'll catch you!" Lucifer said. 

Iris backed up a few paces and then began to run forward toward the pool, her arms stuffed into the floaties flapping at her sides. Lucifer smiled and braced himself to catch her...but then Iris stopped. 

Chloe saw her back hunch a little bit as she looked into the water.

"What's wrong?" Lucifer asked. 

Iris shook her head and softly cried, "No, this is scawwy!"

Lucifer let his arms fall into the water with a _sploosh_. 

"Bullet," He said tenderly, "it's not scary. All you do is jump in, come on."

He held his arms up again, but Iris shook her head. Chloe couldn't see her face right now, but she knows what Iris looks like when she's scared. Her eyes are wide and her eyebrows pinch in just a bit. Sometimes her lip quivers too, if she's about to cry. 

"No! I fall!" She cried, her voice now sounding more like a sob. Chloe heard the actual tears starting just a few seconds later. Then Iris sat down on the edge of the pool deck. 

Lucifer swam up closer to her and bringing his index finger to crook underneath her chin, he asked, "Bullet, will you look at me, please?"

Iris sniffed but she did. 

Lucifer continued, "I would _never_ let you fall. I'm going to be right here to catch you. I promise that I'll never allow anything bad happen to you."

Iris sniffed again and then asked, "Daddy catched me?"

Lucifer chuckled at her incorrect grammar, but he repeated, "Yes, Daddy will catch you."

There was a pause, where Chloe wondered if Iris was smiling, and then Lucifer asked jovially, "Right, shall we try this again?"

"Yeah!" Iris said as she stood up. 

Both of them backed up just a few paces. Lucifer held his arms up again while Iris bounced on the balls of her feet. When she was ready, she toddled to the end of the pool, bent her legs, and leaped off. 

Lucifer caught her and let her bottom splash a little bit, but he kept her head above water the whole time. 

"You did it!" He exclaimed, "You jumped!"

Iris squealed with excitement and she clapped her hands, her smile beaming on her small face. 

"I did it! I did it!" She repeated. "Mommy! You see me?" Iris called over to Chloe. 

Chloe grinned widely and replied, "I saw you, baby! Good job!"

"Again! Again!" 

Lucifer nodded and Iris scrambled out of his arms. She paddled in the water on her own for a little bit, but then Lucifer helped her swim the rest of the way to the stairs. Iris walked up them, returned to the center of the edge, and asked, "Weady?"

"Ready," Lucifer repeated, holding his arms out. Iris jumped right away and celebrated her jump once she hit the water. 

This went on for several more minutes. Perhaps it was Lucifer getting bored with this game, but eventually, Chloe heard him whispering although she couldn't make out what. 

When she opened her eyes (she had been napping once Iris successfully completed her first jump) Chloe saw him whispering to Iris and pointing toward the other end of the pool. Iris smiled deviously and nodded. 

Chloe followed their gaze to the other side of the pool. While Iris was jumping off the side, Trixie had set an inner-tube in the water and climbed inside. Her head was tilted back and Chloe bet her older daughter had been napping too. 

Lucifer had Iris climb onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lowered himself into the water, just keeping Iris and half of his head above it. Chloe watched him swim quietly and stealthily, like a shark, toward Trixie. 

Just before they reached her, Lucifer looked back at Iris and pressed an index finger against his lips, motioning to her to be quiet. 

Iris quickly took one arm off his neck and mimicked him. 

Quietly, he took Iris off his back and settled her on his hip, keeping one arm wrapped around her. With the other hand, he flipped Trixie's inner-tube over from the bottom and yelled, "URCHIN!" as he did so. 

Trixie screamed just before she fell in the water. Lucifer and Iris burst out laughing! Trixie swam up and tread water the best she could as she blinked water out of her frantic eyes and looked around. She spluttered and coughed as she yelled, " _Lucifer_! What the _hell_ did you do that for?"

Lucifer looked over at Iris and sarcastically said, "Offspring, I thought we said this was pool time, not nap time."

Iris giggled and agreed, "Yeah Sissy! Time to swim. Nappies are wato!" (later)

A wicked grin split Trixie's face as she lunged toward Lucifer. Within an instant, an all out splashing war began between Lucifer and Iris versus Trixie.

"Hey, Lucifer!" Chloe called out, a worried pit in her stomach overcoming the enjoyment she got watching her family play.

He looked over at her, despite Trixie's repeated splashing.

Chloe continued, "Be careful with Iris over there. I don't like her in the deep end."

Lucifer called back, sounding only slightly annoyed, "I've got her, Detective! Even so..."

He swung Iris (who giggled loudly) back onto his back and swam quickly back to the shallow end. 

"Hey!" Trixie yelled and paddled after them. 

Chloe continued to watch from her seat how much fun her family was having in the water. It dawned on her that the teams weren't quite fair; Trixie was all by herself. 

Sighing with a small laugh, Chloe sat up, twisted her hair into a messy bun, and then took off her engagement ring. It ignited with color under the afternoon sun, but she didn't want to risk the chlorine ruining it, so she stuck it in her bag for now. 

"Trixie!" Chloe called, momentarily interrupting the splashing-war. "Hold on!"

When they saw Chloe walking quickly toward the pool, Trixie cheered with excitement and taunted, "Oh yeah, you're going down!"

Lucifer rolled his eyes and feigned innocence, "But Detective, you wouldn't hurt an innocent human spawn, would you? Your own child, none the less!"

He held Iris up in front of him like a human-shield. 

Chloe and Trixie looked at each other, seemingly contemplating the situation. 

"No, I wouldn't hurt a _human_ child..." Chloe smirked at Trixie. 

Trixie continued playfully, "But Iris isn't just a human. With how awesome her splashes are, she's clearly so much more."

Iris giggled some more, her smile lighting up her whole face, as she continued to make baby-splashes in the water. 

Lucifer slacked a little bit, his eyes furrowing and mouth gaping just a bit, clearly missing Trixie's point. 

All playfulness gone, he said, "Okay. Now you two just sound like my si-"

Chloe pushed a big splash right into his face, only getting a little bit on Iris. 

Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut and sighed while Trixie and Chloe burst out laughing.

He wiped the water from his face. Then a devilish grin split his face and he allowed his eyes to flash red just, for half a second, as he dangerously said, "Okay, you asked for it."

***

A few hours later, the four of them had dried off from their day in the pool, and made their way inside for Iris's nap and so that Chloe could start making dinner. 

Lucifer took her upstairs to get her cleaned up and ready to lay down. 

Once they were back in her room, Iris yawned, "Dada?"

Lucifer hummed and raised an eyebrow at her. 

"Can Auntie May come swimming so I show her my jumps?" Iris asked sweetly.

Lucifer chuckled. Auntie May is what Iris calls Mazikeen. The two of them have grown very close in the last year, since Chloe has allowed Maze to start babysitting more often. Iris loves Maze, and thinks she's the coolest person in the world, which Lucifer is trying to teach her against, but it's cute none the less. 

"Of course," Lucifer replied, "now, it's time for you to get some sleep. I'll come wake you up in a few hours for dinner."

Iris yawned again and nodded. Lucifer bent down and kissed her forehead. 

Iris was out like a light before Lucifer even left the room. A day in the sun and so much fun in the pool takes quite a lot of energy out of such a tiny person.


	3. Imitation Is The Best Form Of Flattery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris takes an interest in piano.

While Chloe was stuck at work doing boring paperwork, Lucifer decided to take Iris and spend the day at Lux. It had been a while since he's checked in on things there. 

Per the detective's instructions, he put Iris down for a nap at the scheduled time, in what used to be her nursery, while he had some quiet time to himself. He decided to dust off his piano and play, something he hasn't been able to do in way too long. When it was clean and shiny once again, Lucifer sat down to play. He didn't need any sheet music; he simply let his hands glide over the keys, slowly beginning a melody of his own design. Just like riding a bike, his fingers picked up the tempo and played this made-up, graceful, and up-beat piece with ease. 

Lucifer closed his eyes, letting the rest of the room fall away besides his ears faintly holding onto the notes as they drifted through the air. 

"Hi Daddy!"

"Gah!" Lucifer flinched as a very young and high pitched voice disrupted his concentration. He looked to his right, where the voice came from, and let out a long breath when he saw Iris beaming up at him, her hair tussled from sleep. 

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" He asked, taking his hands off the keyboard to rest in his lap. 

Iris shrugged and looked down at her socks. "Woke up." She murmured. 

Lucifer sighed and looked briefly at the ceiling before continuing, "It's not time for you to be awake yet. Go back to sleep." He waved his fingers in the direction of the room, as if telling her to shoo.

Instead, Iris stayed put and said, "Pwetty song!"

Now, Lucifer would never turn down a compliment, especially from his Little Bullet, so he gave her a half smile and replied, "You think so?"

Iris smiled from ear-to-ear and nodded eagerly. 

"I wanna pway too." She decided as she scrambled to climb up on the piano bench. 

"Ah, no. Absolutely not!" Lucifer protested. 

Iris, being the stubborn child she has already proven herself to be, continued to attempt climbing on the bench, grunting as she used her entire body to help her. Unfortunately, it was still too tall, no matter how hard she tried, and Lucifer didn't enjoy watching her struggle. 

"Bloody hell, here." He muttered under his breath. Then he grabbed onto the sides of Iris's chest and boosted her the rest of the way up, sitting Iris on the bench next to him.

Once he sat her down, he said as he raised one eyebrow, "Now, if I let you sit up here will a few minutes, will you go back to sleep afterward?" 

Iris nodded vigorously, and Lucifer saw her begin to reach out to touch the pristinely white keys, but he stopped her immediately. 

"Ah ah ah!" He said sternly and Iris looked at him as her smile faded. 

"Are your hands clean?" Lucifer asked, eyeing her small hands suspiciously. 

"Yes." Iris said in a small voice. 

If Iris was anything like her sister, there's a good chance she isn't telling the truth about her sticky fingers. 

"Let me see them." He demanded. 

Iris held both of her hands out in front of her eagerly, so that her palms were facing Lucifer. He quickly rand his thumbs over her hands and pursed his lips as he judged them. There was only a tiny bit of what seemed to feel like grime on them, but he supposed that it's an amount of stickiness no child can escape from. 

"Good enough." He deemed them. 

Before he could get anything else in, Iris beamed and brought both of her hands forcefully down on the keyboard, making horrendous high-pitched noises. 

" _Gentle_! Gentle." Lucifer worried as he pushed Iris's hands off of the keyboard. His piano has been damaged one too many times, and he was not about to let his two-year old damage it further. 

"Like this," Lucifer instructed. He demonstrated how to gently place one's hands on the white surface and slowly press your fingers down to play. He pressed down one finger at a time, so the notes were like an increasing chime.

Iris watched his hands closely. She slowly put her small hands on top of the keyboard and tried to press down gently, but all of her fingers came down together, so the keys underneath her left hand all went down together a second before the keys under her right hand. 

"You have to put one finger on one key only." Lucifer said, trying to adjust her fingers. Unfortunately, he found that her hands were too small yet to do that. Her thumb and index finger were on High C while her middle, ring, and pinky fingers all fit onto High D. 

"Hmm, I don't think you're quite big enough yet." Lucifer pondered. 

Iris made a whimpering noise and whined, "But I want to pway like Daddy!"

He couldn't stand the whining, but if her goal was to play piano, he couldn't discourage it. 

"How about this?" He decided, "You play your own way, _gently_ , up there," He pointed to the right of the keyboard, "and I'll play my way down here." He pointed to the left. 

Iris nodded and happily played her half of the keyboard. It was positively terrible, but Lucifer enjoyed watching the look on her face. She was so proud of herself and having the time of her life. Although, it's not hard to make the most mundane things seem like a fun game for young children. 

Lucifer tuned her out the best he could while he focused on playing his half of the piano in a darker, more melancholy beat, now that he was restricted to only the lower keys. He recalled when he, the detective, and Iris used to live in the penthouse, and he'd play the piano in order to get Iris to go to sleep.

Eventually, Iris began requesting that Lucifer play some of her favorite nursery rhymes. He figured that nobody important was watching him use his talent to play childish songs, so he indulged her, whatever would make her go back to sleep at this point. 

***

A few days later, Lucifer found Iris playing by herself in her play room at home. The room was already filled with gigantic and small stuffed animals, as well as an array of games and toys. She did not need any new toys, but what Lucifer had hidden behind his back wasn't just a toy. It was a practical learning tool. A beginner's edition, if you will. 

"Bullet." He said to get her attention.

Iris whipped around and smiled. 

"Hi Daddy!" 

"Hello," He said, squatting down next to her, "I brought you something."

Iris, who was kneeling in front of him and had just abandoned her previous play, was bouncing with excitement as Lucifer brought his most recent purchase out from behind him. 

He set a small red piano in front of Iris. It couldn't have been more than one foot wide and two feet tall. There were probably about fifteen to twenty keys on the keyboard, but they were significantly smaller than a real piano keys. 

Iris gasped with surprise and exclaimed, "It's a pi-an-o!" She pronounced piano slowly. It was her way of making sure she was saying the new word correctly. 

"Yes," Lucifer smiled, "I figured that, since you're not big enough to play on my piano, you can have your own small one. Until you get bigger, that is. And you can bang on this one all you want!"

"Coow!" (Cool) Iris said as she proceeded to bang on all the keys, having the time of her life playing a piano she can actually play. Her rhythm was completely off and the toy sounded out of tune, making Lucifer grimace. 

"That's going to get annoying very fast, isn't it?" He muttered under his breath. 

"Wook! I'm Daddy!" Iris giggled as she continued to "play" the piano and pretend to be him. 

Well, Lucifer couldn't be annoyed at that, now could he? Imitation is supposed to be the best form of flattery, after all.

He stood up to let her have fun, but before he left, he affectionately rubbed the back of her head and softly said, "I'm glad you like it, Bullet."

This moment reminded Lucifer, once again, of the promise he made to Iris on the day she was born. He promised to teach her everything he knew, and that most definitely included music. He felt rather excited that he might soon be able to have that opportunity.


	4. Making Up For An Old Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a fight with her mom, Trixie ropes Lucifer into fulfilling his end of a bargain they made years ago.

All was quiet in the Decker-Espinoza-Morningstar household that morning. Iris came down with a stuffy nose last night and wasn't feeling her best, so she didn't have as much energy as she normally has. Lucifer was somewhat forced to keep an eye on her this morning because Chloe promised Trixie some time this weekend. 

Iris was cuddled up in a blanket and snuggled into Lucifer's side. He had decided to break out his t-shirts once again for the first time since Iris was an infant. She hasn't quite reached the age where she knows what to do with her nasal discharge, and that was a horror he did not want to put his suits through. Iris was extremely upset about how her nose wouldn't stop running, she felt gross, and cried about wanting her mommy. It was a temper tantrum that took Lucifer a while to alleviate, but eventually, she calmed down when he agreed to sit with her and watch whatever cartoons she wanted. As the urchin suspected about a year ago, Iris was beginning to love Disney and that meant that Lucifer was being forced to watch the same movies and shows on repeat. This week's obsession is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. 

As Lucifer took a deep breath, he accepted that the storm of a sick two-year old was finally over, despite the incredibly annoying mouse on the TV that refused to wear a shirt and stop asking stupid questions. Then the front door opened, and a whole new brand of chaos entered the home. 

"Trixie! You need to calm down!" Chloe said sternly. 

"Calm down? I'm not the one who needs to calm down! _You're_ the one who yells at me every time I tap the gas pedal!" Trixie yelled in a higher pitched, distressed voice.

"That's dramatic. I yelled at you because you didn't look in your side mirror when you were changing lanes!" Chloe's voice was slowly raising as her daughter continued yelling at her. 

"Yes I did!" Trixie yelled back as she slammed the front door shut. "I put my signal on, checked my mirror, and thought it was safe!"

Iris jumped at the sound of the door slamming and began crying again. More discharge came pouring out of her nose, which only made her cry more. 

"Oh bloody hell." Lucifer muttered angrily. He quickly grabbed a clean tissue from the box he had on the coffee table, held it up to his daughter's nose and said gruffly, "Here, blow."

Iris did as she was told and Lucifer grimaced and shuttered as the tissue became wet in his hand. When she finished, he wiped up the rest of the mess from her face.

"That jackass decided to pass me instead of let me legally merge in front of him!" Trixie continued arguing. 

"Stay here," Lucifer whispered to Iris as he got off the couch to see what the commotion in the foyer was all about. 

" _No_ ," Chloe persisted, "he was in your blind spot, but you didn't check before you moved!"

"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Lucifer interrupted.

Trixie answered, "I asked Mom to get me on the road before I get my Learner's Permit this Friday, but all she does is yell at me when I get behind the wheel!"

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and countered, "That's not what happened. You get too excited and don't pay attention. You're not ready to drive a car, Trixie!"

Lucifer recognized the detective's scary voice, and her offspring was going red in the face with anger. In order to avoid more emotionally distressed females this morning, Lucifer stepped peacefully in the middle of them. 

"All right, let's take a minute." He said to each of them. 

"Urchin, if you don't like driving with your mother, why not ask Daniel to take you?" Lucifer asked Trixie.

"Because Dad won't let me leave the parking lot with his car! I've been learning how to park and turn in an empty lot for _months_! I'm ready for the road!" She cried. 

Chloe shook her head and countered, "Technically, you're not legally allowed to be on the road until you have your Learner's Permit. I only agreed to let you drive a block or two in the neighborhood for learning's sake."

"Detective," Lucifer sighed and cheekily replied, "she's never going to learn how to drive if neither of you let go of her. Let off the breaks, if you will. Ha! It's a driving pun. Get it?"

Chloe's mouth dropped open slightly and she deadpanned, "Fine. If you want to have an opinion about this, _you_ can teach her how to drive."

She pointed threatening at Lucifer, giving him her angry glare. 

Trixie pipped up, "Yeah! You promised me you'd teach me how to drive when I was little, remember?"

Lucifer took in a breath to hesitantly say that he did remember that particular deal, but Chloe sarcastically proclaimed, "That's a great idea! Trix, Lucifer can teach you how to drive in his corvette and see how Mom and Dad feel about letting a fifteen-year old drive their cars!"

Lucifer sighed in defeat, but he sassed right back at Chloe, "Well, driving _is_ the first taste of freedom young humans receive." Then he turned to Trixie with a bright smile and agreed, "All right, offspring, I will teach you how to drive."

Trixie beamed a smile, jumped up and down, and exclaimed, "Yes! Yes! _Yes_!" Then she ran forward and wrapped her arms around Lucifer, pressing herself into his chest and saying, "Thank you, Lucifer."

He patted her back gently and said, "You're welcome."

"Mommy?" A small, weepy voice interrupted the family dispute. 

Iris had strolled in, her face still blotchy and wet from crying.

Chloe squatted down to Iris's height and let all anger subside, "Hey, baby. How're you feeling?"

Iris shook her head as she walked into Chloe's arms for a hug. 

"Nose huwts." She explained. 

"I know, baby, I know." Chloe said, rubbing soothing circles on Iris's back. She lifted the girl up into her arms and told Lucifer, "I'll take over from here."

"Okay," He agreed way too quickly and smiled, saying, "I'm going to go upstairs and change, and then we will switch spawn responsibility."

Chloe rolled her eyes, and then walked with Iris back into the living room.

***

A few minutes later, Lucifer was properly dressed and sitting in the passenger's seat of the corvette. Trixie was nestled into the driver's seat and changing all of his settings. Lucifer took a deep breath, but didn't say anything about it.

"Thanks for taking me out, Lucifer. I don't know why my parents get so upset about me driving." She muttered.

"It's no trouble." He replied, "You're a young woman. You need to be able to go out and explore the world. It's not your fault your father still thinks you're an infant and your mother can't remove the stick from her backside."

Trixie snorted a laugh and then said, "Yeah, but I think they just get worried about safety. Guess it comes with being a cop and a parent, right?"

Lucifer shrugged and added, "Possibly. Though, perhaps I am the best person to teach you, then! I'm invulnerable around you, so if we get in a wreck, no harm done!"

Trixie smiled, but then it faded, and she added, "Yeah, but God forbid we get in an accident, you'll be fine, but what about me and the car?"

Lucifer hummed and thought about that for a moment before saying, "I expect there will be a mourning period, and I will miss it, but corvette's are a dime a dozen. You're never touching the Aston, though, nobody touches the Aston but me." He gently touched the dashboard in front of him and quietly continued, "I can replace her...I suppose."

Trixie's jaw dropped open and she shrieked, " _What about me_?"

Lucifer shrugged and casually replied, "Don't get in a wreck, and you have nothing to worry about."

Trixie shook her head with disbelief and muttered, "Maybe the parking lot with Dad isn't so bad after all."

Lucifer rolled his eyes and huffed, "Do you want to learn how to drive or what?"

In response, Trixie put the key in the ignition and revved it. The corvette purred like a cat to life and Trixie smirked with excitement. 

"All right, put her in reverse and slowly put your foot on the gas." Lucifer instructed.

Trixie did so, very slowly, but nicely and she backed the corvette out of the driveway. Lucifer sat back in his seat, one arm lazily hanging off the side of the car, and he let Trixie finish the route she had planned with Chloe this morning. 

Every stop and turn, she talked through what she was doing. Lucifer hummed along in affirmation. A couple times, as they came up to a stop sign, Trixie hit the brake too hard and made the car lurch just before they reached the intersection. 

"Remember how I told you easy on the gas pedal?" Lucifer asked. Trixie nodded as she checked to her left and her right for no cars or pedestrians before proceeding forward. 

"It's the same with the brake. You don't need to slam on it when you're rolling at twenty-five miles per hour up to a stop sign. Be gentle with it." He explained. 

"Gentle, okay, got it." Trixie confirmed. A few seconds later, she said, "I really appreciate this, you know. My mom yells at me every time I speed up or slow down too fast. Like, okay, I get it, that's not what I'm supposed to do, but her yelling at me instead of telling me how to fix it doesn't help me!"

Lucifer listened, nodded, and then replied, "You're right, you're not going to learn that way."

"I don't know why Mom's acting like this." Trixie sighed, shaking her head while adjusting her grip on the ten-and-two position on the steering wheel. 

After a moment, Lucifer supplied, "I don't think she likes how fast you're growing up."

Trixie glanced at Lucifer, but then returned her attention to the road without saying anything. 

"Human growth is...new to me. I know you all go through stages of life, but to actually see it and be a part of it, well, for an immortal, it's very intimidating. I can't believe how fast you've gone from a sticky little urchin to being ready to take off on your own. I'm all for it, I'm not going to stop you, but I've also only been in your life for about eight years. Your mum has been there for fifteen, more than that even. She can't control you anymore and that's a big adjustment for her. Well, I shouldn't say control because I don't think that's what she's doing. But-"

"She doesn't want to lose me." Trixie finished for him in a small voice. 

"Exactly." Lucifer answered. "Bloody hell, I'm already feeling like that with your sister. It's like I blinked and she went from being a squirming potato to an actual child. Did you know that, if I wanted to put her in Ivy League-based preschools, I would have needed to put her on a waiting list the minute the detective found out she was pregnant? And even that wouldn't guarantee Bullet a spot!"

Trixie laughed, "Why would you want to send Rissy to one of those snooty preschools anyway?"

"To give her the best education possible, obviously!" Lucifer argued. 

Trixie shook her head and replied, "Rissy doesn't need to start in Ivy League private schools at two or three years old. I went to public school my whole life and I do fine. I'll be able to go to college in a few years. Probably not Ivy League, but I'm okay with that." 

Lucifer didn't say anything at first, but then he muttered, "She'll be leaving us soon."

Trixie deadpanned, "She's going to preschool in one year to learn the ABCs and color."

"For eight hours!" Lucifer argued, "That's practically all bloody day!"

"You and Mom go to work all day and don't see Iris for longer than that! Why is preschool such an issue?" Trixie asked. 

"Because she'll be around even stickier spawn than Charlie, I can't guarantee her safety, and then before you know it, she'll be off and leaving us, never to talk to us again!" 

Trixie took a deep breath and calmly stated, "Lucifer, it's really sweet that you're so worried about her, but Iris will be fine, and I really think you're overthinking this. She'll love preschool. Charlie's in preschool right now, and Linda says that he loves it. Iris will be safe there and she'll learn everything she needs to. Plus, you don't need to worry about constantly getting a babysitter if she's in school all day. And Iris is not going to leave you guys."

Lucifer paused for a moment, and then he replied in a small voice, "I suppose you're right, but if she's anything like me, well..."

He didn't finish his sentence because he got an idea.

"What do you say to seeing how fast this car can go?" He smirked. 

Trixie glanced at him with a devious grin on her face and asked, "Where to?"

Lucifer directed her to a nearby Frontage road that ran along side the interstate. There was next to nobody on this road, so Trixie was able to really push to gas pedal and get the full experience of driving in a convertible sports car. 

Her smile lit up her face the entire time as he hair flew backward against the wind. She kept in complete control of the vehicle as they sped down the road. Lucifer wasn't nervous about her losing control or somehow crashing the car. He trusted Trixie's responsibility, especially seeing her expression; she is learning and loving the freedom behind driving, how she now has access to the entire world...within drivable distance, that is. 

Eventually, Trixie drove them home, their hair windblown, but the exhilaration and joy still in perfect condition. 

"That was awesome!" She said as she closed the corvette's door behind her. 

"Now you see why I only buy fast cars." Lucifer commented. 

"Would you be able to take me driving again sometime?" She asked. 

Lucifer nodded as he opened up the front door for Trixie. "That sounds possible. Perhaps I'll let you test out another one of my cars, and you can see what style you like best."

Trixie smirked, "For a possible birthday present in my future?"

Lucifer guffawed and clarified, "Urchin, I would love to buy you a car, but I also know how much your mother detests me buying you expensive gifts. I'd much rather be able to sleep in our bed than on the couch, if you know what I mean."

Trixie hummed and said, "Maybe I'll try to drop a few hints to her. I mean, you're about to be my parent now, too. You should be able to buy me things."

Lucifer chuckled lightly and shook his head, " _Step_ -parent. You still have two fully present parents who put me in the proverbial dog house when I want to get you nice things."

At that moment, Chloe walked into the foyer and whispered a bit nervously, "Hey, how'd it go? Sorry, Iris is asleep."

Lucifer answered first, cheekily, "She did a wonderful job! Drives like the devil, this one."

Chloe rolled her eyes and murmured, "I've seen how you drive, that's not exactly comforting."

Trixie cut in, "Mom, I didn't crash or get pulled over or had any near-accidents. I had a lot of fun driving with Lucifer today. Is it okay if we go driving again some time?"

Chloe glared at both of them for a minute before taking a deep breath and giving in. 

"Fine. But only if you ask first." She decided. Then Chloe turned to Lucifer with a hard glare and warned, "You are the responsible, licensed driver when you take her out. I _do not_ want to get a call saying that you two got yourselves wrapped around a tree because neither of you were paying attention."

Lucifer feigned hurt and asked, "Why Detective, I'm starting to feel that you don't trust me with your child!"

Trixie added, " _His_ step-child, by the way."

"Not until after the wedding." He reminded her of their deal. 

Chloe rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever. Just, please, be careful."

"We will!" Trixie and Lucifer said in unison, smiling so innocently, as Chloe walked upstairs to go check on Iris.

"You know," Lucifer said as he began walking further into their home, "I think I can definitely see you in a sports car. Nothing that usually compensates for some poor chap's small anatomy, of course, but something smaller, very fast, and fun."

"Don't forget leather seats, a great stereo, and convertible roof if possible." Trixie added. 

"Exactly! Gosh, that'd be perfect." Lucifer grinned as he and Trixie continued their car-conversation. He even pulled up pictures of different cars he could see her driving and explained their physical and mechanical features with her listening intently. Honestly, Lucifer was being a pretty good teacher. 


	5. Time Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer deals with very difficult and conflicting emotions during a new aspect of Iris's life. Chloe takes charge on one of the more difficult parts of parenting.

Chloe had been in the kitchen for the last few minutes making dinner after work.

She and Iris had been coloring in the living room before that. Her mom (Iris's nana) had gotten Iris a whole set of crayons, colored pencils, and drawing paper for Iris's second birthday. After Chloe had gotten off of work, Lucifer had to take a call for the wedding, so she and Iris sat at the table and colored pictures together.

When it was time for Chloe to start getting dinner ready, she kept one eye on Iris in the living room to make sure that she was okay. As Chloe prepped the meat and other ingredients for their dinner, she turned her back on Iris for not even five minutes.

Chloe turned back around, felt the need to look in the living room, and she froze. Iris wasn't there. The paper the two of them had been drawing on still sat on the table, along with a few crayons and colored pencils.

"Iris?" Chloe called out, leaving the kitchen immediately to figure out where her toddler had wandered off to.

Chloe checked the rest of the living room and kitchen, but didn't see Iris anywhere. She kept calling out her name, too, but Iris wasn't answering.

Finally, Chloe checked Iris's play room, where most of her daughter's toys were kept.

"Iris?" Chloe called again. She gasped and her eyes widened at what she discovered.

"Iris Melody!" Chloe yelled, making her daughter turn around with a start.

The little girl smiled proudly from the spot on the floor where she sat, several crayons littering the ground around her.

"Wook Mommy! I cowawing!" (coloring) Iris exclaimed, pointing with one of her crayons to the glob of colorful swirls on the light gray play room wall.

Chloe put her hands on her hips, her blood boiling with anger, as she shook her head in disbelief. 

"No. Absolutely not!" Chloe scolded her, marching over to where Iris sat and pulled her up to her feet.

"Hey!" Iris protested, as her mom forcefully led her away.

"How many times have I told you? When you color, you color on paper only!" Chloe angrily explained, holding up the paper Iris had been coloring on previously for good measure.

Scared of her mom's yelling, Iris began to whimper and cry.

At that same moment, Lucifer came out of the other room, looking for Chloe.

"Detective, can I get your opinion on-"

As he stepped into the room and saw Iris beginning to throw a tantrum and Chloe's lips pursed with displeasure, he hesitated. Then Lucifer spoke quietly into his phone, "Carlo, I'm going to need to call you back."

With that, he hung up and looked expectantly between his fiancée and daughter. "What's happening here?"

Chloe looked to Iris with raised eyebrows and asked lowly, "Do you want to show your father what you did?"

Iris shook her head and kept crying.

Given how Chloe had asked the question, Lucifer knew whatever happened couldn't be good. He raised an eyebrow at Chloe and then turned to Iris.

Chloe sighed and explained, "She decided to draw on the play room wall instead of paper, even though I tell her constantly that crayons are _only_ for the paper."

Lucifer drew in a deep breath and deduced, "So you blatantly disobeyed your mother?"

Iris looked up at him, her mouth pulled in a deep frown as she continued crying.

"I don't think she knows what those words mean." Chloe leaned in and whispered to Lucifer.

He explained, his tone matching the detective's in anger, "You did not listen, and did the opposite of what she told you to?"

"I'm sowwy!" Iris sobbed.

Chloe shook her head and said, "You're going to get a Time Out so that you learn to listen."

Lucifer looked at Chloe, his eyes furrowed in confusion, as he asked, "Ah, Detective, are you sure about that?"

Chloe moved to pick Iris up. Iris screamed in response and thrashed to get down, but Chloe held her tight.

"Yes, I'm sure." Chloe said, "She didn't listen and she needs to be punished for that."

As Chloe said it, Lucifer flinched. She walked past him - with a screaming Iris - toward the stairs and sat Iris down on the bottom stair.

"I'm setting the timer. You are going to sit on that stair for three minutes. If you move, I add a minute. Once the timer is done, you may get off. Do you understand?"

"Mommy, no!" Iris wailed. Even so, Chloe set the timer on her phone for three minutes and walked away.

Iris kept crying out for her mommy, but so far, she didn't leave the steps.

Chloe came back into the living room with Lucifer and ran a hand through her hair exhaustedly.

"Detective," Lucifer said softly, "are you sure you're not over-reacting here? I mean, I know Little Bullet didn't listen, but it's crayon on the wall. We can clean that. And she did apologize."

Chloe huffed and replied, "That's not the point, Lucifer. Iris is getting older and she needs discipline and guidance. If we don't reprimand her for something small like coloring on the walls, she'll grow up thinking that everything is okay, and that there are never any consequences for her actions. Iris needs to learn to listen to adults. Plus, it's only three minutes! She'll be fine!"

Lucifer gulped. He kept looking off in the direction of Iris's cries, like they physically hurt him. "I understand that," He said, "bloody hell, I just hate sitting here when it sounds like she's in pain! Plus associating her with punishment. It just-"

Lucifer shuddered.

Chloe took a deep breath and her expression softened. Sometimes it's easy to forget that his job for eons was punishing damned souls. She has seen him only desire to punish the criminals they catch at work, the truly low and evil of society, but he's changed in the last few years. He's stopped searching for reasons to hurt and instead focused on seeking justice for the innocent. Chloe supposed a habit and a mindset that has been ingrained in one's mind since the dawn of time would be next to impossible to break, especially quickly. The more she thought about it, the more she sympathized with Lucifer's indignation to discipline their child. Perhaps part of him is associating her small, temporary punishment with those horrible, torturous Hell loops he's told her little about.

"Hey," She said quietly, running her hands down his arms. He gave her is full attention. "It's going to be okay. This isn't like what you're used to. It's simple, very temporary correction. It's just like teaching her."

"Teaching her." Lucifer repeated.

Chloe smiled and nodded. "It's something you and I definitely have to be partners on. We can't be good cop/bad cop at home or else we won't be a unified front like we're supposed to be."

Lucifer looked down, the corners of his lips pulling down harshly.

"Detective," He sighed. He seemed to stammer and be at a loss for words for a moment before doing his best to explain his thoughts. "What if I'm not good at...disciplining her? Or worse, what if I'm too good at it? If I have to punish her, of course I want her to learn her lesson, but I also don't want to be extreme...Detective, I don't want to hurt her." He said his last sentence slowly with emphasis on each word a his eyes bore into hers pleadingly.

Chloe leaned her head to the side, bringing her hands down to interlock her fingers with his. Chloe comfortingly replied, "You won't, I promise. You don't have to make those decisions alone. I only did this today because I learned how to discipline children when I was raising Trixie, but before her, Dan and I didn't know what we were doing. It's a learning process, and we helped each other back then."

Lucifer gave her a small smile as he added, "And now I have you."

Chloe nodded but then she smirked and replied, "You're one lucky bastard."

Lucifer snorted into laughter and Chloe followed him. Before either of them could say anything else, the timer on Chloe's phone began ringing.

"Ready to spring the prisoner?" She joked.

Lucifer smiled and nodded, but then he asked, "Together?"

Chloe led the way into the hallway, at the base of the stairs, where Iris had waited in Time Out. Her knees were pulled up tight to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, and she tucked her head into the space between.

As they came in front of her, Chloe stood with her arms loosely crossed over her chest. Lucifer squatted down in front of Iris.

"Iris?" He asked, his tone serious.

Iris sniffed and picked her head up. Her face was still red from screaming and crying, and her eyes were still just as wet and puffy. She made eye contact with Lucifer.

"Your punishment is over," He explained. Then he looked over his shoulder at Chloe, who gave him a miniscule nod. Lucifer continued, "but we want to talk about why your mum made you sit here."

"'Cause I cowawed on the wahy." (Because I colored on the wall) Iris mumbled.

Lucifer nodded slowly as he replied, "That, but mostly because your mother asked you not to do something and you didn't listen to her. That's why she was so angry at you."

Iris sniffed again, but then she looked up at Chloe and faintly asked, "Mommy, do you not love me anymore? Cause I did someting bad?"

The crying began again, but as she asked the questions, Chloe's hard resolved instantly vanished, and she squatted down next to Lucifer and placed her hands on Iris's elbows.

"Honey, no! Of course Mommy still loves you!" Chloe explained, "Just because Mommy, or Daddy, or anyone else gets mad at you doesn't mean that we will ever stop loving you, no matter what you do."

Iris sniffled until she calmed down and then she said softly, "I sowwy."

Chloe smiled, nodded, and replied, "I know, baby, and I forgive you."

She opened her arms and Iris lunged into them for a hug. Chloe held her for a while until it seemed like Iris was calmer. Then Chloe asked, "Do you want to help Mommy finish making dinner?"

Iris gasped with a large smile and dashed off to the kitchen, yelling, "Yeah!"

Chloe giggled and jogged in after her.

Lucifer smiled at his family, all reconciled and right again. He pulled out his phone to call Carlo back - while making a mental note to get a Magic Eraser for the wall -, but he thought about what just transpired. He didn't tell the detective, but part of the reason why he was timid about disciplining Iris was that he had no example of how to do this other than Hell. He didn't grow up in a human household like the detective had, nor remembers his parents putting him on the naughty step for misbehaving. None of his siblings ever rebelled or did anything to disobey Father or Mother. He was the first, and he remembers extremely well how that went.

He needed, more than ever, to follow the detective's lead on this aspect of parenting if he wanted to be the best father to Iris that he could possibly be.


	6. I Now Pronounce You Husband And Wife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the chapter you've all been waiting for!

There's always a certain buzz in the air the morning of weddings. Whether it's caused by the excitement of what's about to happen or anxiousness, probably depends on the person. For Chloe Decker and Lucifer Morningstar, it's probably a little of both. This seemed to be the final step in their love story, but it did not feel like the end. In fact, for both of them, it felt more like a beginning. There were no anxieties of whether or not they were doing the right thing, it was just the daunting force of forever waiting for both of them at the end of that aisle. 

"Luci, you have absolutely no reason to be nervous. You and Chloe are meant to be! Today is going to be perfect." Amenadiel reassured his younger brother as they got ready in the penthouse.

"That's exactly what makes me nervous, brother. What part does Dad still have in all of this? He's been awfully quiet these last two years, you know? No tragedies, everyone has left Iris alone, Hell is fine...it just seems too convenient." Lucifer retorted as he messed with his bow tie. 

Amenadiel rolled his eyes and chuckled, "You're being paranoid. Have you ever considered that perhaps this is your happy ending and you should be enjoying it instead of waiting for the other shoe to fall?"

"No because He can't ever leave me the hell alone!" Lucifer grumbled. "Why would He start now?"

"Because you've changed, and I'm sure Father sees that. Maybe He's doing more for you than you know, and keeping things peaceful so you can be with your family?" Amenadiel shrugged. 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. After a moment of fussing with his tux, he sighed and added, "I just don't want any of them to pay the price for me wanting something different. None of them deserve that."

Amenadiel smiled, "I know, but for today, I want you to enjoy what is right now. The old Lucifer would have laughed at what you're about to do. Look how much you've changed...for the better!"

Lucifer chuckled, "Oh, the old me would have done much worse than laugh, brother. Thank you, though, for saying that. I have to say, Earth has done wonders for you as well."

Just then, the penthouse elevator opened and Dan stepped through, fully dressed in his suit. 

"Are you done getting ready yet, or do you need to sit for hair and makeup too?" Dan joked. 

Lucifer beamed, "Oh! Daniel, you're here! Sorry, this is the groom's quarters. The bride's is back at the house."

Dan deadpanned, checked his watch, and answered glumly, "The limo's here whenever you're ready."

Lucifer shrugged on his jacket, and the three of them headed into the elevator toward the limo that would take them to the beach. 

The limo was sleek and black, likely one of the newer models. It came fully stocked with bottles of liquor, champagne, tumblers, and flutes.

"Drink, to celebrate the death of the bachelor?" Lucifer smirked as he found a bottle of scotch. 

Dan groaned and put a hand tentatively on his stomach, "I thought we did that last week. God, just thinking about your bachelor party makes me sick."

"It's not our fault you can't hold your booze, Daniel. Plus, I'm so happy you were there. Now I have plenty of footage of Drunk Douche for at least one viral video!" Lucifer laughed as he poured the scotch into three glasses. 

Once they arrived at the beach, Lucifer followed Amenadiel and Dan out of the limo. Just to keep things simple, as the detective wanted, they chose to get married on their beach. The more significance this small piece of land held, the better, he supposed. Part of Lucifer thought about petitioning the city to let him buy the acre or two that meant the most to him and the detective. There had to be at least one politician interested in bending a few laws for a few million dollars. He knew from a previous case with the detective that there were no private beaches allowed in California, but perhaps he could put some sign up with their names on it, or be in charge of its up keep. 

For now, they had appropriated this space for the day. An arbor stood at the front of about twelve rows of white folding chairs, six on each side. White sheets covered the poles of the arbor and gently swayed with the ocean breeze. The wedding itself was highly controlled by Chloe. All she wanted was a simple ceremony where they could say their vows to each other with their loved ones watching. They supposed that, since he got to plan the proposal, she would get to plan the wedding.

As Lucifer investigated the finished product, he turned to face the ocean and took in the site. The sun had fully risen in the sky and made the Pacific Ocean a dazzling sea-foam green color, with the light looking like diamonds on the waves. Small waves crashed gently against the sandy shore, the movement of the water its own beautiful song, even without a small band beginning to tune their instruments for the ceremony. Seagulls squawked overhead, searching for food among the beach goers miles down the way, and a crab shuffled along near Lucifer's Louis Vuitton's. The temperature was cooler for autumn in Los Angeles, today's high being seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit.

Today is absolutely perfect. 

As the hour ticked on, more guests arrived, including fellow officers from the L.A.P.D. and a few of Lux's original employees.

Finally, as three o'clock neared, another limousine pulled up just outside the beach. Lucifer couldn't see extremely well from his angle, but he knew that that had to be the limo with Chloe inside. About a minute later, Mazikeen, Linda, and Miss Lopez came down the beach all ready to go. 

Miss Lopez came and found Lucifer, as he was mingling with a few other detectives. She was wearing a long, flowy, cobalt blue dress that had a slit up the left leg.

"Hey buddy!" She exclaimed, opening her arms for a massive hug. 

"Miss Lopez," Lucifer greeted her fondly, having grown more accustomed to the hugging-ritual over the years, as he gently wrapped his arms around her small back and patted it gently. 

"You ready?" She asked slyly with a smirk as she glanced up at him. 

Lucifer immediately replied, "More than ever. I can't believe this is actually bloody happening."

"I can!" Ella argued as she let go, "You and Chloe are perfect for each other. I'm just excited that this wedding is _finally_ happening." She laughed. "You look damn fine, by the way." Ella added in a sultry tone, looking Lucifer up and down with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. 

He chuckled and replied playfully, "What? This old thing?" He lightly adjusted his suit before saying more seriously, "And you look as ravishing as ever, my dear Miss Lopez."

Ella clicked her tongue and waved her hand in a p'shaw kind of way, saying, "This mad scientist can be a princess, too...when she feels like putting in the effort."

Lucifer laughed, while Ella's phone vibrated. "Why would you want to be a princess? Being a mad scientist sounds so much more fun!" His eyes widened and he flashed a devilish grin for a second. 

Ella quickly changed the subject, "Todes, and I hate to cut our conversation short, but _somebody_ is ready to come down." She lifted her eyebrows suggestively. 

Lucifer stood up proudly and replied, "We best get going, then."

Together, Lucifer and Ella made their way up to the arbor. 

Chloe and Lucifer had asked - without needing much time for deliberation - Ella to marry them, seeing as she is like a sister to the both of them. She eagerly accepted and filed online to become an officiate. 

As for the rest of them, Chloe and Lucifer decided not to have a bride's nor groom's side of the aisle. They were all practically family already, and after today, everyone would legally be, so they welcomed everyone to sit where they'd like. 

Once Ella and Lucifer took their places under the arbor, the small band began playing a stringed, acoustic version of their prom song, _Only You_. 

As Lucifer gazed out over the beach, trying to catch that first tiny glimpse of Chloe walking toward him, he finally did see a being making its way up the beach. Oddly enough, the being seemed to be running...and quite small.

Lucifer looked closer, his eyes squinting, but when he realized what he was looking at, he laughed out loud and smiled fondly at the being. 

"Oh. My. Gosh. That's way too cute!" Ella laughed from behind him. 

Iris was running down the beach in a white, tea-length cotton dress with baby blue flowers glued onto the side of the middle. A crown of small blue flowers with miniscule green leaves encircled her head, her dark brown locks falling in waves over her shoulders. In her hands, she held up a sign that seemed to be made out of a kind of drift wood. 

It read: **Ready or not Daddy! Here comes Mommy!**

Lucifer continued laughing as Iris jogged down the aisle with her sign. Her smile lit up her face, quite like the sun was doing to the ocean at this very moment. Lucifer crouched down as she reached the rows of chairs. As she reached the arbor, Lucifer picked Iris up and held her on his hip, making her drop her sign. 

"Hi," She smiled. 

"Hello Bullet." Lucifer replied cheerily, smoothing down the front of her dress that had wrinkled. 

"Mommy wooks wike a pincess." Iris came in close and whispered, cupping her tiny hands around her mouth, like they were scheming and she was telling her father a dire secret. 

Lucifer returned in a whisper, "Ah, does she now? Well, I can't wait to see her. You know, you look very beautiful yourself."

Iris tucked her head in, making her neck disappear, as she giggled. 

Lucifer kissed the top of her forehead and added, "I love you. Okay, now," He set Iris on the ground and continued, "why don't you go sit with Maze?"

Iris ran back down the aisle, finding the row that Maze was sitting in with Eve, who had accepted the invitation Lucifer had sent her, taking a small pause on her journey of self-discovery.

As Lucifer looked back up from Iris settling in her chair next to Mazikeen, his eyes locked onto two women coming forward. His heart pounded in his chest as his hands became clammy with sweat. His smile faded, as if he were dumbstruck by witnessing a goddess descending toward him. 

Chloe strode down the aisle, her right arm linked with Trixie's. 

Trixie, looking more womanly than Lucifer had ever seen that sticky little urchin, had her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Her sundress was grayish-blue and loose that went down to her feet. 

Chloe's dress was mostly plain and an off-white color. It was strapless, the top shaped almost like the tops of a heart over her breasts. Her blonde hair shone brightly under the sunshine as it cascaded over her shoulders, and her bullet necklace fell right down the middle.

Whether it was the bright sun getting in his eyes, the sand, or the reality that his daughter is a little girl, not a baby, the deceptive little parasite is a woman, and the detective looks radiantly magnificent as they are about to be joined in matrimony...Lucifer's eyes began to well up with tears.

Finally, Trixie and Chloe reached the end. Lucifer couldn't bring his eyes anywhere but Chloe's stunning blue ones. 

"Who gives this woman to this man?" Ella projected her script. 

Trixie smiled at her mother and Lucifer in turn before proudly answering, "Her daughters do."

Ella returned Trixie's smile and nodded. Trixie let go of Chloe's arm, going in for one more hug.

"I love you, Mom." Trixie quietly said. 

Chloe hummed happily as she wrapped her arms around her oldest daughter and replied, "I love you too, monkey, so much."

With that, Trixie stepped to the side, eyeing Lucifer in the way she always had, like she knows he's wrapped around her finger. 

"I'm very happy for you guys, especially you...Step-Dad." Trixie smirked.

Lucifer chuckled once and rolled his eyes, still not taking them away from Chloe, though. Trixie stepped away then, walking toward the row Maze, Iris, and Eve were sitting in.

"Welcome," Ella said to the small crowd gathered there, "we are gathered here today to celebrate, the most epic love story I think any of us have ever heard. I mean, I've only known Chloe and Lucifer for a few short years, but in that time, I've been able to see them both grow in so many ways, but best of all, I got to see them fall in love." 

Ella paused as she considered her next words. "This love story isn't some Disney fairytale, you know, where the guy saves the princess from the wicked witch, they live happily ever after, and they make it look so easy. Being a part of this journey with you guys, your story definitely wasn't easy. Life happened, full force. What's inspiring to all of us, though, is that you always made it out the other side. You kept what's most important at the center of your relationship. Not desires, pride, fear, or anything like that...but love...through thick and thin, everyone could tell that the love the you two developed and shared with each other was crazy strong and real. Plus, you've proven that you can make adorable babies, and dang, with you two raising her, Iris is going to have the best role models for how to conquer life and love other people immensely. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that, you crazy kids set the bar crazy stupid high for the rest of us single Pringles, and your two-year old is the luckiest person I know."

Many of the guests laughed, including Ella, Lucifer, and Chloe.

"Anyway, you two are an inspiration. So...now comes the super important and awesome part."

Ella beamed as she turned slightly toward Chloe, who glanced at her momentarily before smiling back up at Lucifer. 

"Please repeat after me," Ella began, "I, Chloe Jane Decker,"

"I, Chloe Jane Decker," Chloe repeated at a soft, calm volume.

"Take you, Lucifer Morningstar,"

"Take you, Lucifer Morningstar," Chloe smiled harder with a blush.

"To have and to hold,"

"To have and to hold,"

"In good times and in bad,"

"In good times and in bad," Chloe nodded, trying to hold back happy tears.

"In sickness and in health,"

"In sickness and in health," Chloe's smile faltered just a little bit as she tried to stifle a laugh with that vow, seeing as she's never known Lucifer to get sick, being immortal and all.

"For richer and for poorer,"

"For richer and for poorer,"

"For better or for worse,"

"For better or for worse," Chloe said with the uptmost confidence.

"Until death do us part."

Chloe paused for a second, feeling as if her heart was about to stop. Death. It was the only thing standing in their way at this point. It was inevitable, though. Most likely, she would be the first to go, but hopefully, God willing, it will be after a very long and happy life. 

"Until death do us part." Chloe vowed. 

Taking a pause to breath, Ella turned to Lucifer and began, "Please repeat after me. I, Lucifer Morningstar,"

"I, Lucifer Morningstar," Lucifer said on an exhale, beaming at Chloe. He honestly hasn't felt quite this happy, loved, and exhilarated since, perhaps, the day Iris first said "Dadda".

"Take you, Chloe Jane Decker,"

"Take you, Chloe Jane Decker," Seeing as this is one of those rare moments where Lucifer said this miracle's name, he caressed every syllable as it came off his tongue with the reverence they deserved. He recalled what Amenadiel said in the penthouse that morning; he would enjoy this moment and the right now.

"To have and to hold,"

"To have and to hold,"

"In good times and in bad,"

"In good times and in bad," Lucifer lightly squeezed Chloe's hands.

"In sickness and in health,"

"In sickness and in health," His eyebrows raised as he titled his head forward slightly, imploring her to understand that he would remain by her side through any human complication thrown their way.

"For richer and for poorer,"

"For richer and for poorer," He couldn't help but chuckle at that one. Lucifer couldn't perceive them every battling the poorer part, but then again, who had ever heard of the devil falling love or getting married? Never say never.

"For better or for worse,"

"For better or for worse," Lucifer said just as confidently as Chloe had.

"Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part." Lucifer finished without missing a beat.

"Do we have the rings?" Ella asked into the crowd. 

Lucifer and Chloe looked at the rows of chairs and saw, near the back left, Linda and Amenadiel were ushering a timid-looking Charlie into the aisle. 

Charlie wore a smart, light gray suit with a light blue tie around his neck and a pocket square in his tiny breast pocket. In his hands, he held a small wooden box out in front of him. Seeing that he was nervous, Chloe crouched down to his eye-level, waving him forward with a gentle smile. 

"It's okay, Charlie, come on up here." Chloe calmly coaxed him. 

His smile widening, Charlie held his head up high as he walked down the aisle with the box. When he reached the front, Chloe smiled at him and said, "That's awesome, Charlie, you did great!"

The boy smiled and said, "You look weally pwetty Auntie Chloe."

Chloe giggled and replied, "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." She lightly and affectionately hooked a finger under his chin. Then she asked, "Can we have your box, please?"

Charlie handed it over to Chloe, who immediately passed it up to Ella.

As Chloe rose, Lucifer said, "You're looking devilishly handsome, nephew. I see your parents finally got a fashion sense."

Charlie giggled and said, pulling a bit at his suit, "Yeah! I kinda look like you Uncle Luci!"

Lucifer raised and eyebrow and flatly replied, "Indeed."

Then, getting an idea, he smirked and did as Chloe did a moment before, crouching down to his nephew's height. 

Lucifer cupped his hands on the sides of his eyes, so that only Charlie could see. For a quick second, he let his eyes flash red as he grinned deviously. Charlie's face lit up with excitement; even after all these years, that trick still thrilled his nephew.

"Now, go sit back down." Lucifer said quietly, and then Charlie took back off down the aisle. 

He rose once again, and Ella had opened the small wooden box, revealing two silver bands. Ella pulled out the thicker and larger silver band first, handing it to Chloe. 

"Now that you've read your vows to each other, Chloe, do you take Lucifer to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Chloe gazed into Lucifer's dark eyes for a moment, eyes that she has been so angry with in the past but also has laughed with. Eyes that shared tender moments with her. Eyes that were the last thing she sees before she closes her eyes and kisses him. Eyes that she longed to see everyday that he was in Hell, that she could get lost in for hours if she wasn't careful. Eyes that he passed on to their daughter. Eyes that Chloe loved. 

"I do." She said, slipping the band onto Lucifer's left ring-finger. 

"Lucifer," Ella continued, handing him the smaller silver band, "do you take Chloe to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Lucifer didn't need any time to think about that. Instead, he slid the ring onto Chloe's finger, answering, "You better believe I bloody well do."

Ella chuckled and then said, "Well then, by the powers vested in me by the internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss your bride." Ella added with a sly waggle of her eyebrows. 

Lucifer, his smile taking up his whole face, slid one hand behind Chloe's head and the other on her back. He leaned down, kissing her with the same energy he had been flooded with in that moment, which made her lean backwards slightly, even though she was returning his kiss just as passionately.

The crowd stood, clapped, and cheered as Chloe and Lucifer continued kissing. They only broke apart when Lucifer felt something bump against his leg. He looked down, abruptly ending their kiss, to see Iris bouncing right beside them, her arms above her head, and her smile just as bright and excited as theirs likely were. 

"Come here, baby." Chloe said, picking Iris up in her arms. Chloe hugged her close, basking in the reality and joy of their small family and everyone together on one of the happiest days of their lives. 

Everything was perfect, it seemed that Chloe and Lucifer could take on absolutely anything now. They were together, and they would see too it that nothing would come between them ever again. The girls, Charlie, and all of their friends were safe and happy...

...at least for a little while.


	7. Uncomfortable Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flipping back and forth between the wedding reception and Ella's apartment, Lucifer and Chloe have a spectacular night full of fluff and reconnecting with old friends. That is, until one of Lucifer's siblings crashes the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to post this chapter a day early because I've decided to add another chapter. Originally there were supposed to be seven chapters in this book, but now there are eight. You get two today because it will take me a little time to write the last chapter. Enjoy, but be warned, this chapter is a roller coaster!

Lucifer knocked wearily at the bathroom door, calling out, "Miss Lopez, please open up."

"Go away!" Ella called back from the other side 

He rolled his eyes and grumbled, his fist tightening as it rested against the door. "Miss Lopez!" 

Chloe, sensing his increasing agitation, put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and tried, "Ella, please talk to us. We know how difficult this must be for you; we're your friends!"

Lucifer sighed and quietly grumbled, "I'm going to open the door."

"No!" Chloe whispered harshly, her eyes and voice like steel, "You doing your lock-mojo is just going to freak her out even more. Believe me, Lucifer, this is something she needs to come to us about. We can't just force-"

Chloe paused when, finally, the lock on the inside of the bathroom door clicked. Slowly, Ella opened the door, revealing her, still in her cobalt dress from the wedding. Her eye makeup was smeared and running around her blood-shot eyes. Margaret, her bathtub chicken, was tucked underneath one arm. 

Ella glared at Lucifer and yelled, "Okay. You want to talk? You claim you don't lie, so come on, Lucifer! Tell me how you can see the ghost that's haunted me since childhood."

Lucifer took a deep breath as he gulped. For a moment, he looked over his shoulder at Azrael, who was pacing anxiously in Ella's living room. Then he looked back at Ella, knowing that there was no turning back now.

Ella Lopez was about to find out the truth.

_Three hours earlier..._

Chloe's and Lucifer's wedding reception took place on the same beach as their wedding. Following the ceremony, a DJ, buffet table, and open bar were set up. The sun was setting now, casting the sky into brilliant hues of orange, pink, red, and purple. Even after living there for years, the L.A. sunset never ceased to amaze anyone, except maybe Maze, who was much more fascinated with catching up with Eve to notice much else.

Lucifer and Chloe had finished their first dance as husband and wife, a few of their friends made speeches, and many pictures were taken.

After all of that, Chloe had a little surprise for her new husband. Finding the courage at the bottom of a shot of vodka, Chloe walked up to the DJ booth and took the mic he offered her. 

"Excuse me everyone, hi!" She smiled, then continued, "Um, as you probably know, normally at weddings, there is a traditional father/daughter dance. Unfortunately, my dad, well, he can't be here. But...I don't think that should stop us. So, I would like to invite Lucifer and our daughter, Iris, onto the dance floor for their _first_ father/daughter dance.

Lucifer's eyes widened at Chloe's invitation, but he quickly accepted. Iris was just a few feet away, playing with Charlie. 

He knelt down next to her, taking her very small hand in his, and asked, "Bullet, would you like to come dance with me?"

Iris's head snapped up and she eagerly nodded.

Lucifer nodded his head toward the dance floor, taking Iris by the hand, and walked her out to the center of the cleared space.

Once there, he lifted Iris up on his hip, seeing as she was quite significantly shorter than he was. With one arm underneath her rear, he held her left hand in his right. 

_Daughters_ by John Mayer began playing as Lucifer swayed with his daughter. 

"Are you having fun today?" Lucifer asked her.

"Yes." Iris answered, her smile as bright and dopey as it always seemed to be, and yet, so very much the detective's.

"You and I have never danced before, have we?" Lucifer pondered.

"I wike dancing." Iris said. 

Lucifer chuckled, "Me too."

Comforted by the music and the security of her father's arms, Iris placed her head on Lucifer's shoulder, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Giving a few low hums with his adoring smile, Lucifer moved the hand that had been holding Iris's hand onto her back to support her. 

Caught up in the moment and emotion of the day, Lucifer quietly said, "I love you."

"I wove you, Daddy." Iris replied.

A huge weight Lucifer hadn't realized was there felt as if it had been lifted off his shoulders. He hadn't realized until now how important it was to him that his daughter knew without a doubt that he loves her. He's always feared losing her to his siblings, not being good enough for her, or hurting her in one way or another, but Lucifer realized now that all of those anxieties were leading to one place: Lucifer doesn't want Iris to feel the same way he had growing up, like she was unloved or unwanted. 

That is how he found himself telling her the one thing he had always wished he heard from his own father, something he had only told one other soul in a bit of a misunderstanding. 

"I am so proud of you, Iris."

Iris snuggled closer into Lucifer's chest. He lightly kissed her shoulder (the only part of her he could reach with her laying on him) As Iris wrapped her arms around him, almost as if giving him a hug, and she, in turn, kissed his cheek.

He doesn't quite know what he's so proud of, but he never lies, so his admission was the truth, there was no doubt about that. He's just immensely proud of her for just being her.

Two minutes later, the song ended, and Lucifer put Iris down to go run off and play with other children.

He felt some one tap his shoulder, so Lucifer turned around. Trixie was standing behind him with a smirk on her face, asking, "Mind if I cut in?"

***

Ella sat in her favorite chair in her living room, a very large and fluffy bean bag chair that honestly took up half of the small room and threatened to swallow the small forensic scientist whole. She had her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Before sitting down and demanding answers out of the others in her living room, she had gone to her room to take off her dress and makeup and get into a pair of comfortable leggings with emojis on them and a large t-shirt. 

Chloe, Lucifer, and Azrael all sat together on the couch across from the bean bag chair, quite cramped actually, thanks to Lucifer's greater size compared to the two women.

Not being able to stand the awkward silence and waiting, Lucifer spoke up first with a cheeky grin, "The last time I was alone in a room with this many adult women, things were much more fun than this."

Azrael grimaced and practically growled, "Dude! Shut up!"

Lucifer pursed his lips, his eyes widened slightly, as he rubbed his hands together, doing as Azrael said.

Calming down, Azrael hung her head and turned back in Ella's direction. Quietly, she asked, "Where do you want to start, Ells?"

Ella - who hadn't even moved, much less smile at Lucifer's sex joke - took a breath and slowly turned her head toward her friends, at least, she thought they were her friends.

Her voice tired and hoarse from crying, Ella answered, "The car accident. Start with what you were really doing at the car accident."

Azrael seemed to twitch uncomfortably as she quickly replied, "Just know, whatever you ask, you might not like the answer."

Shocking them all, Ella yelled, "No! What I don't like is being lied to and made to seem like I'm crazy. Rae-Rae, I went over twenty-years thinking that I was the only one who could see you. A ghost! You know what that was like for me, what that put me through! Now I find out that my best friend can see you too? Who the hell are you?"

Azrael gulped.

_Two hours earlier..._

Once Lucifer had finished dancing with the girls, the party really got started. The DJ was incredible and everyone was having a blast. The children seemed to really enjoy the cake and chasing each other around. He and Chloe were able to dance several more times after that, each more enjoyable than the last. He supposed he'd never get tired of dancing with her, his wife.

As they were all mingling and taking a food-break, Eve found Lucifer by the bar. 

"Hey Luce," She smiled softly.

Lucifer chuckled, remembering her greeting from the time they met years ago in Lux. This time, his tone was less shocked and more pleased to see her, "Eve."

She giggled softly and looked around. She still seemed to thoroughly enjoy the color red, as it was the color she had picked out for her dress tonight.

"I just wanted to say thank you for inviting me." Eve said.

Lucifer sipped his drink and then brushed off, "Of course! It's good to see you again, especially making Mazikeen so happy." 

Eve blushed and glanced over at Maze, who was doing some silly dance with the infamous Tribe to a 90's boy-band song.

"It's great to see everyone again," She started, "but I'm not back. I'm still...figuring things out."

Lucifer nodded and replied, "I understand."

"You know, one of the biggest reasons I came tonight was to meet Iris!" She exclaimed, her voice just as bouncy and musical as it had always been.

Lucifer smiled brightly and nodded, "Can you believe it? Me, a father?" He still chuckled at the absurdity of the idea, even though he's been a father for two years now.

Eve shook her head, completely shocked, "I mean, when I first heard that you had a baby, I was like, whoa! Never saw you enjoying parenting coming. But, she is so freaking cute."

"I know," Lucifer drawled. 

"And she looks exactly like you." Eve commented. 

Lucifer's eyebrows pinched together slightly as he asked, "Really? I see more of the detective in her face. Like, her nose and smile...things like that."

Eve nodded and replied, "I can see that, but she totally has your eyes and that same...light inside of you that I always saw."

Lucifer considered that. Honestly, he hadn't thought much about who Iris looked more like since the day she was born. 

"Anyway," She continued, "I also want to apologize for not reaching out two years ago. Would you believe me if I told you that Maze never called me to tell me that Chloe was pregnant? I mean, a year after I left, I got back in contact with her, because that's what you do when you miss somebody, so one would think that when one of the greatest loves of your life is going to be a father, someone would tell me."

Lucifer tensed up, fearing that, perhaps, he had made a mistake in inviting Eve. Was she still hung up on him?

As if she read his thoughts, she clarified, "Ooh, that didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I mean that, I know we're done and you've moved on, and I'm _so_ happy that you're in love and unbelievably happy with Chloe. I am, Lucifer, I really am." She touched his forearm lightly. "I mean that we're friends, and if I had known that Chloe was pregnant, I would have called or sent a present or something. Maze told me as an after thought the day Iris was born when she was hanging out at the hospital with Trixie."

Lucifer nodded in understanding, smiling fondly at her, "It's alright."

"She really is a sweet kid." Eve added, "I told her that I'm a very old friend of her daddy's."

Lucifer laughed and joked, "Trying to explain to a toddler how old you are? I don't think she can even count to ten yet, Eve, much less...however old you are."

Eve scoffed and shot back the rest of her drink, shaking her head, though amusement was present in her expression. When she had finished, she placed the glass back on the bar, and said, "I'm going to go say hi to a few more people I have to catch a flight back to D.C.."

"D.C.!" Lucifer recalled, seeing as that's where he sent her wedding invitation, "Pray tell, how did you end up in the U.S. capitol?"

Eve laughed and shrugged, "When I started traveling, I figured I'd start seeing what this country had to offer. So far I really like Washington, there's always something happening there, but I think it's going to be time for me to move on soon."

They spent the next few minutes chit chatting about all the places she's been, and what her possible plans are for the future. Lucifer filled her in on all the details of what had happened in his life leading up to today. They talked easily for a long time until, finally, there was nothing to talk about anymore.

"Well," Lucifer breathed, "wherever you do end up, I hope you find what you're looking for."

Eve opened up her arms for a hug, and Lucifer leaned down into her, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. 

"Congratulations, Lucifer." She said genuinely, "I'm so happy for you."

They smiled once more at each other before Eve headed back onto the dance floor to see the girls and Maze one more time. 

Lucifer ordered one more scotch, taking this one with him, as he decided to take a stroll along the shoreline, just taking Amenadiel's advice into consideration one last time.

He gazed off into the distance, watching the waves slowly rise and fall as they came closer to land. He didn't hear anyone approach until they greeted him. 

"Lu?" 

Lucifer recognized the voice and immediately turned around, his eyebrows raising just a bit higher on his forehead. 

"Azrael?" He blinked, not believing his eyes. 

There, standing just a few feet away from him on the beach, in a knee length white dress with large red hibiscuses on it, black sandals on her feet, and a black pair of glasses on her face, was the Angel of Death and Lucifer's favorite little sister.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" He asked.

***

"The night you got in that car wreck," Azrael hesitantly began explaining, struggling to maintain eye contact with Ella's accusing and betrayed stare, "I was there...to pick you up."

"Pick me up?" Ella asked, shaking her head with confusion.

Azrael paused, her shoulders tensed as she pondered how best to explain this story to her best friend.

"Ella, you remember how bad things were that night." She said gravely.

Ella scoffed and grumbled, "Yeah, the paramedics said it was a miracle I was still alive, that it looked like I wasn't going to make it."

Chloe took in a sharp breath and looked at her hands. Lucifer spun his onyx ring around his finger.

Azrael stared imploringly at Ella. Ella stared back, her confusion fading into disbelief at the look Azrael was giving her. 

She sat up as best she could in her bean bag chair and accused, "Wait. Rae-Rae. Are you telling me that you were there to _get_ me? Like, take me into the ghost world? I should have died?" Ella's tone increased hysterically.

Azrael shook her head slightly and replied, "Not exactly. Um..."

Lucifer grumbled, "Best get on with it. There's no turning back now."

Lucifer stood up from the couch and paced the room, looking increasingly agitated as Azrael continued the story. He strode around Ella's main room, eyeing the various religious trinkets that clashed with the fandom memorabilia.

"I was there to come get you, but...in my line of work, sometimes there are some false alarms. You were a false alarm. I don't control who lives or who dies...I just take them to the next place."

Ella blinked and asked, "Wait, like, the Grim Reaper?"

Azrael gave a miniscule flinch before saying, "I mean...I don't think I'm _that_ scary, but that's really more a term humans made up for scary bedtime stories."

Ella opened her mouth to say something else, but then she stopped, her face paling. She stared at Azrael and breathed, "You didn't deny it."

Azrael pursed her lips and ducked her head down momentarily.

"Rae-Rae," Ella said, "Are you Death?"

Azrael sighed and pushed her glasses up her nose, "Well, death is more of a verb, something that happens to mortals. Death isn't a physical being. Again...scary stories. I'm...pretty much a guide. You've actually heard about me and talked about me in that Catholic school you went to. I kind of made sure I ditched the day your teacher talked about Exodus."

Ella buried her face in her hands, tearing her fingers through her hair. Then she froze, the slight creases on her forehead indicating that she was thinking. 

"Hold on...Exodus..." She breathed. Then her eyes bulged out of her head as she cried, "Holy smokes! Like, the _Angel_ of Death?"

"Yes," Azrael's voice was small and timid, so unlike any legend of the Grim Reaper or the Angel of Death Chloe or Ella had ever heard. 

Ella's breath hitched as she looked over at the wall next to her, seemingly staring through it as she tried to catch up with the new information her oldest friend had given her. 

Finally, after a long moment of silence and Azrael sitting on the couch like she was preparing for a scolding, Ella harshly said, "Rae-Rae, I'm going to need you to tell me _everything_."

_One hour earlier..._

"My favorite big brother is getting married to the love of his life. Do you need anymore than that?" Azrael teased. 

Lucifer slid his hand that wasn't holding a glass into his pocket and replied with a joyless smile and a sarcastic tone, "Well, seeing as the last time one of our siblings popped in unannounced, my unborn child nearly got taken away. Forgive me for being skeptical."

Azrael sighed sadly and her shoulders slumped as she replied, "Lu, I'm not here for your kid, okay? Honestly, I heard through the grapevine that you and Detective Decker were getting married today, and, well, I just wanted to come say congrats."

Lucifer studied her for a moment. He highly doubted that Azrael would ever lie to him, but his siblings have pulled worse betrayals in the past, proving that he couldn't trust any of them, except maybe Amenadiel, but that came after several years of turning over new leaves.

Lucifer nodded his head in the direction of the party and said, "There's free booze and cake over there if you'd like to join."

Azrael gave him that small, appreciative smile she used to all the time when they were younger, when he'd include her or be kind to her when all of their other siblings weren't.

Together, they slowly walked down the beach back toward the reception where music and lights were blaring and people danced to them. 

"So..." Azrael dragged out, "how is your baby?"

Lucifer laughed, his smile brightening, "Not so much a baby anymore, I'm afraid, but bloody spectacular."

"You had a girl, right?" 

"Yes."

Azrael smirked and elbowed him in the side, "Look at you getting all mushy!"

Lucifer glared at her, affronted, "I am not mushy!"

Azrael rolled her eyes and retorted, "Lu, come on. We all know you hate kids."

"I bloody despise the little urchins." He replied.

"But not yours?" She countered.

Lucifer smiled ruefully and repeated, "But not mine. Mine is...different."

Azrael hummed sarcastically, totally not believing a word. After a few more seconds of walking, coming closer to the party, Azrael asked, "I don't think I ever heard what you named her."

Lucifer linked arms with Azrael as they entered the party and replied, "Iris. Well, her full name is Iris Melody Morningstar."

Azrael gave a long, drawn-out whistle and replied, "Wow, that's really pretty."

Lucifer chuckled, "Pretty name for a pretty girl."

They got Azrael something to eat first. She eyed the buffet table wildly, like she didn't know what to look at first. Angels don't need to eat in the way humans do, so realistically, Azrael probably has never been offered this much food before. 

"Take as much as you like," Lucifer offered. Azrael grabbed a plate and chose a few snacks after careful consideration.

"I remember some of these from when Ella was little and her mom would bake and cook and stuff. It was _so good_. Although, I never ate any of the snacks when Ella was watching, 'cause I kinda told her ghosts can't touch stuff, but when she left the room or fell asleep, I _snacked_. "

Lucifer didn't comment on his sister's lies to Miss Lopez. Instead, the two of them stood on the side lines of the party, chit chatting, listening to the blaring dance music, and not really being bothered much by anyone. If anyone did stop by, it wasn't someone Azrael knew, and they didn't pay her much attention other than a acknowledging smile.

"You know, things aren't as bad at home as you think they are." Azrael pointed out as she dipped a tortilla chip into some salsa. 

"How do you mean? It was literally Hell for me the last time I was there." Lucifer replied. 

"I mean," Azrael shrugged, "not everybody is as mad at you anymore."

Lucifer set his tumbler down on nearby table a little harder than he should have. 

" _Really_? Then, explain why Remmy and I nearly fought to the death because I impregnated a human, whom I love, mind you? How Michael tried to steal my life four years ago? Why..." Lucifer paused, blanking over this brother's name, " _he_ tried to have the detective killed."

Azrael looked defiantly at him, something she rarely does considering how shy she tends to be. Lucifer has told their brothers and sisters before, though, Azrael can be no sweet peach.

"Lucifer, you can't generalize and pigeon-hole all of us because of a few bad apples...why the heck did I use the apple metaphor." She reminded him, before kicking herself for the poor choice of words.

Despite her misstep there, Lucifer gave a small, amused, breath of a laugh, before saying, "Well, if they aren't royally pissed at me anymore, how come none of them have popped in to say hello or have come to tell me themselves? Not that I'd likely forgive them. It has been literal eons."

Azrael shrugged as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "Your guess is as good as mine. I think most of them are still shocked from the rebellion. A couple have been watching though-"

"Perverts."

"And they've been paying attention." Azrael ignored him, her tone imploring that he understand, "They've watched some of your time here on Earth, almost like it's a TV drama. Fun fact: there are quite a few Deckerstar shippers in the Silver City, especially after they found out that Dad made Detective Decker personally. Oh, and Amenadiel filled Remiel in on some of the stuff before his son was born. A few of our brothers were really proud of how much you changed, Lu. You went back to Hell without anyone forcing you to, and you did the noble thing, sticking around for your daughter's life and not abandoning her!"

Lucifer scoffed, "I'm sure they were only proud of the fact that I, for once in my bloody life, did as I was told like a good little boy."

Azrael shook her head.

Lucifer didn't seem to notice, however, and continued, "Plus, even if a handful, if that, changed their minds about me...it all comes down to what Dad says, and I know Dad has been off doing His own thing the last couple of years, so the Silver City is being babysat by the Big Three."

Azrael blinked, "Wait, Dad is...what?"

Lucifer sighed, "Amenadiel, Maze, Michael, and I got into a bout of fisticuffs, Dad got sick of our bickering, stepped in, and well...it's a rather long story, involving a very dramatic family dinner and some karaoke. I can fill you in later."

Azrael's eyes widened, deciding to take him at his very strange word.

"Anyway," Azrael slowly continued, "how shocked would you be if I told you that two out of the Big Three are actually genuinely proud of you and are amazed by your story?"

Lucifer looked squarely at his little sister and deadpanned, "I'd say what drugs have you been taking and can I have some?"

Azrael giggled and nodded her head once in an affirming way.

Lucifer's eyebrows pinched together with a faint smile, but they faded all to quickly into an eye roll. "Let me guess which one isn't on board with my change..."

Azrael sighed, "Michael has always been a dick, we established this eons ago."

"I can't believe Dad didn't remove his archangel status after what he did here." Lucifer scoffed, shaking his head. "So bloody unfair."

"He couldn't leave all of the Silver City up to Gabe and Raph." Azrael pointed out, "That's like leaving the universe to the high school stereotypic jock and stoner. Plus, he is being punished, but it's somewhere he can't harm or manipulate anybody."

Lucifer smiled slyly and charmingly replied, "Oh? Do tell."

Azrael leaned in close and quietly answered, "He's answering prayers. If one of our siblings gets caught up in one of their assigned tasks, and they can't answer prayers and stuff, he's supposed to do it. Putting it in precinct terms, which you might get: Michael is the department bottom, but because he's been tenured in, he can't be fired."

Lucifer guffawed and clapped his hands, "Oh that is _rich_! He's a bloody guardian!"

Azrael laughed and nodded, "I know I shouldn't laugh, but it's really freaking funny!"

"Oh no, definitely laugh all you want!" Lucifer encouraged her.

After a moment of laughing at Michael, Azrael said, "I don't know what their plans are. Remmy acted all on her own when Detective Decker was pregnant with Iris, I swear. The rest of us didn't have anything to do with that. Remmy thought she was following orders-"

"But Dad hasn't given any, and you lot are just assuming, yes I've heard that excuse before."

"Anyway, um, I was wondering...I don't know if you and your wife or Amenadiel would be comfortable with it, but...do you think it'd be okay if I met Iris and Chucky one day?" Azrael asked. 

"Chucky?" Lucifer asked, affronted. Then he clarified, "His name is _Charlie_."

"Oh," Azrael blushed, "Sorry. That's what Michael calls him."

Lucifer rolled his eyes and muttered a string of profanities about his twin that made Azrael quite uncomfortable. 

"Lu," She started, "I know this is probably a lot to ask, but...if you, Amenadiel, his partner, and maybe Detective Decker say it's okay, well...do you think I could meet them?"

Lucifer considered Azrael and her clearly genuine plea. After a moment, he took a deep breath, and kindly answered, "It's alright with me if you want to meet my daughter, but, I cannot speak for Amenadiel, Linda, and the detective. However, I give you my word that I will talk to them about it."

Azrael beamed and jumped slightly on the balls of her feet, exclaiming, "Really? Thanks, Lu!" 

Before he knew it, Azrael had wrapped her arms around his middle without warning. Now he sees more of why she and Miss Lopez got on so well.

"You're welcome." Lucifer said timidly, patting his sister's head.

Azrael broke away a few seconds later, her head turning toward the dance floor. _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri had just come on and quite a few people were slow dancing.

"Oh man, I love this song!" Azrael exclaimed, "Ella and I used to scream-sing to it, especially when we watched that last Twilight movie together."

"Would you like to dance?" Lucifer asked, offering her his hand.

Azrael looked at his hand like it might bite her, shook her head, and answered, "Oh, um, I don't...I can't dance."

"Sure you can!" Lucifer argued, "Come on." He gently placed his hand on her back and nudged her along to the dance floor. "If I can dance with a two-year old, I can dance with my immortal little sister with little dancing experience."

He led Azrael out to the dance floor and held one of her hands in his, while placing the other on her back. She mirrored him. With someone as inexperienced with dancing as Azrael, he probably should have had her place her hands behind his neck, but given the height difference, that didn't seem possible. 

"Follow my lead." He told her reassuringly as she looked down at her feet with worry.

Lucifer swayed to the beat of the music, keeping his expression calm and pleased while fighting the urge to grimace the few times Azrael stepped on his toes. 

"This isn't so bad." Azrael decided. Lucifer smiled. 

Lucifer gave Azrael a spin as the song was coming to a close.

"Okay, mister, you didn't think you were going to get to leave this wedding without giving me a dance-" Ella teased as she made her way over. Given her slight slurring of words, it was clear that she was quite tipsy, bordering on drunk. However, she froze and that glorious buzz vanished as her eyes locked on Lucifer and his dance partner. Ella gaped at them as Azrael sprang away from Lucifer. He looked between both of them, realizing what was so bad about this. 

"Miss Lopez," Lucifer started, but Ella interrupted him.

"Rae-Rae?" She asked hoarsely, "What are you doing here? H-how can Lucifer see you? How can he _touch_ you?" Her questions became more hysterical the more she asked. 

"Ella, I can explain." Azrael hurriedly answered. 

"You told me that nobody but me could see you! You said that you couldn't touch anybody because of ghost rules!" Ella yelled, her eyes becoming red with tears. 

Azrael flinched and looked around nervously, whispering, "Ella, keep your voice down!"

"No! No I'm not going to keep my voice down! Rae-Rae, you're my best friend, but it looks like you've been massively lying to me. You let everyone think I was crazy, but now you're dancing with my best friend on his wedding day?" Ella cried. 

Not helping matters at all, Lucifer added, "Miss Lopez, of course I can see her. She is my sister, after all."

Ella stared at him, her body going slack as she repeated, " _Your sister_?"

"See? This is why I don't lie." Lucifer reminded Azrael, who shot him the deadliest glare Lucifer had ever seen.

Ella tore her fingers through her hair and then continued, "Okay...okay, say that makes sense. You never told me you had a dead sister! I get, that must be hard, but we've been friends for years, Lucifer, and she's never come up!"

"Well, that's because-" Lucifer started, but Ella cut him off.

"And Rae-Rae, the last time you were in L.A., you saw me at work, you knew that I worked your maybe-brother, so why not tell me?"

Azrael didn't look at her, instead, the sand seemed safer than Ella's betrayed and pained eyes.

After receiving no answer, Ella stormed off. 

"Ella!" Azrael called after her, moving to follow her, but Lucifer held onto her arms. 

"Let her go," He advised, "she's going to need space."

At that moment, Chloe jogged over, concern written all over her face, "Hey, what's wrong with Ella? She looked really upset."

Azrael locked her fingers behind her head, looking up at the sky with shining eyes. 

Lucifer sighed as he looked to Chloe and explained, "This is my sister, Azrael."

"Your sister?" Chloe asked, alarm evident in her voice. 

"She means no harm, Detective, I assure you." Lucifer implored, gesturing with his hands with palms toward Chloe, asking her to have patience, "She and Miss Lopez have...a history, and it seems that, well..." Lucifer couldn't quite figure out how to explain the rest of it.

Chloe's eyebrows pinched together as she placed an index finger on her chin in thought. Then she asked, "Ella didn't happen to think your sister was a ghost, did she?"

Azrael answered, tears weighing down her voice, "Yeah...that's what I told her I was."

Chloe nodded, no judgement or shame anywhere in her demeanor. She looked to Lucifer with wide eyes and calmly said, "Ella is going to need answers. She's not going to stop until she gets them, and I don't want her to get hurt."

"Neither do I, believe me." Lucifer agreed. 

Chloe grabbed onto his forearm, squeezing lightly, "We need to find her, and explain this to her ourselves so she doesn't do something reckless."

 _Like I did_ , Lucifer assumed were the next words she was omitting. 

"If she feels safe, and with friends, this might go as smooth as something like this can be."

"Right now?" Lucifer asked. 

Chloe sighed and asked, "Would you be okay postponing our wedding night?"

Lucifer took a deep breath. He hated the notion of not being able to have sex with the detective - his wife - tonight, but it seemed there were more important matters at hand. 

"It's Miss Lopez," He answered, not wanting, even more than missing their wedding night, Miss Lopez to be hurt because of him and his family. She was way too good for that; a soul that special deserved better. 

Chloe nodded and said, "I'm going to tell Linda we're leaving and why. Hopefully she can cover for us."

With that, Chloe, Lucifer, and Azrael took off to find Ella. Chloe asked Azrael if she would fill her in on her relationship with Ella before they found her (they decided to start looking at her apartment). Lucifer was uncharacteristically quiet the entire way.

***

Azrael finished telling Ella everything, from the false-alarm car accident, to wanting to be her friend, suggesting she go to L.A., thinking that her two favorite people could be together since she can't, and why she was in the city tonight.

Ella remained balled up in her bean bag chair, listening intently to Rae-Rae's story, but keeping extremely quiet to the shock of everyone else in the room. Besides the day Pierce yelled at her for talking too much, none of them had ever known Ella to be quiet, much less silent, about anything. 

Finally, Ella mumbled, "Why didn't you want to tell me who you really were, Rae-Rae? I would have accepted you. I always thought angels were pretty sweet and badass."

Azrael tried to smile, but it wasn't convincing at all. 

"Because...I didn't want you to look at me like I was different, like I was a...superhero or something. You were always so kind, and if you kept thinking that I was human-ish, our friendship could be kinda normal. Plus, you had this massive and deep faith in Dad that is so freaking inspiring that, I was worried if you knew the truth, it would change such a huge part of what makes you so incredible."

Ella squeezed her eyes shut and tucked her head into the space between her legs and her chest for a moment. 

"I really wish you hadn't lied to me." Ella whispered. 

Azrael sniffed and looked away. 

Chloe got off the couch then and came over to hug Ella. Ella snuggled into her chest, doing her best to hold in the tears. 

"Jeez," Ella sniffed, "It's your wedding day and you're here when you should be getting massively banged taking care of all my crazy." She joked.

Chloe chuckled and replied, "It really wasn't that long ago I was in your shoes. I wish I had been smart enough to lean on my friends through it. I just didn't know that anybody else knew."

Ella giggled, but then Chloe felt her stop breathing for a minute. Ella's head snapped up, her eyes wide, and mouth gaping slightly.

"Oh goody, my turn." Lucifer said coldly, a forced smile on his face as he leaned against the far wall. 

"Rae-Rae said you are her brother." Ella said dryly.

"That is correct." Lucifer answered. "Older brother." 

Her searching, thinking face returned as she continued piecing together the clues, almost thinking out loud.

"You never lied."

"I don't lie about my identity. It's up to you humans whether or not you believe me."

Ella flinched at his use of "you humans". Then she said, "That...makes so much sense."

Lucifer blinked and shook his head, asking, "Come again?"

Ella looked up at him, no longer crying, but her eyes seemed almost clear, "Now everything makes so much sense. The feathers in the loft...how you get people to confess their desires..." She let her thoughts trail, insinuating all of the other weird things that had happened around Lucifer in the past.

"Yes I...I suppose it does." Lucifer answered but as more of a question, "Why aren't you, you know, going insane?"

Ella shrugged and replied, her voice distant, "Well, I mean, I might be. Does anyone have booze?"

Lucifer's mouth dropped open at her and his eyebrows shot up on his forehead, "Miss Lopez! You just realized that I am who I've always said I am. I am Lucifer Morningstar...the devil. You're supposed to go into frantic state of pure madness!"

Ella sighed, getting up to pace a little bit, "I don't really know how to react right now! My brain's all like 'Does not compute', but at the same time, so much makes sense. Like, dude. The first day we met I told you I think the devil gets a bad rap. Heck, I even told Decker once that the devil started out as an angel, so there's no way he could be all bad. This is a lot different having faith that the Big Guy, the devil, and apparently, the Angel of Death are real, and actually knowing they're real."

Lucifer calmed down just a little bit, very glad that she wasn't utterly mortified of him, but still concerned for her.

"I just don't know, and I hate not knowing." Ella said frustratedly, running her hands over her head.

Chloe stood up and placed a gentle hand on Ella's shoulder, saying, "I'm sure you have a ton of questions, and we all want to answer them, but for now, we just want you to be okay."

Ella took in a shaky breath, trying to fight off more tears, as she answered, "I think I will be. I just...this is a lot."

"I know." Chloe replied empathetically.

"Right now, I just, I think I want to go to bed. I had a lot to drink tonight, and maybe I'll feel better in the morning."

Chloe pressed her lips together, hesitantly asking, "Ella, are you sure? I don't have a problem staying with you tonight."

"No, no." Ella assured her, though her limbs had begun to tremble, "It's fine...I'm fine. Just, you can go ahead and go. I'll go right to sleep, I promise."

Chloe looked over at Lucifer, who hung his head with defeat. 

"Okay," Chloe gave in, giving Ella a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "but please feel free to call me or Linda whenever you want to talk. We'll get together and drink and answer all your questions."

Ella tried to smile too, but hers was even faker than Chloe's. Ella nodded and said, "Yeah, okay, sure."

With that, there was a just of wind, and Ella whipped around. Azrael was gone. 

Ella looked over to Lucifer with wide eyes. He explained, "She took too long off of work. Sis isn't really good at goodbyes, anyway."

Ella pressed her lips firmly together, placed her hands on her hip, and looked down to try and hide her urge to cry. 

"Ella?" Chloe asked, lightly touching her shoulder again. To her surprise, Ella flinched away.

"I'm just gonna...I'm going to bed now." Ella hurriedly walked across her apartment to her open bedroom door. 

"Goodnight, you guys, and congrats." She said, her voice full of tears, as she closed the door behind her. 

Chloe sighed and ran a hand through her hair. 

"I think it's best we leave, Detective." Lucifer said gravely. Chloe nodded.

Together, they left Ella's apartment, even though it felt wrong. There's was nothing more they could do at this point, other than let Ella come to them when she was ready. Lucifer locked the door as they left, walking with Chloe back to the car. 

They didn't say much for the rest of the night. Dan was supposed to take Trixie and Iris back to the house, while Chloe and Lucifer went to the penthouse for the grand finale. The newly wedded couple did go back to the penthouse, but they didn't feel in the mood at all to do what they had planned. Instead, they took off their wedding clothes and put on more comfortable attire, trying to just go to sleep.

Chloe had a restless night, her body tired from the events of today, but her mind continuing to chuck questions and fears at her.

Lucifer didn't sleep a wink, his only thoughts concerning the fact that he might have just lost Miss Lopez, and that uncomfortable truth made him utterly sick.


	8. The Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Chloe go on a week-long honeymoon for some quality time after the insanity of their wedding. Both step outside of their comfort zones a bit and breach a topic neither of them ever thought they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you for being so patient while waiting for this update. I wrote most of this while I was in mandatory quarantine for my school (I'm completely fine by the way), but school started and life just got busy. Anyway, this chapter is probably the longest Iris-related chapter I've written, so be prepared to be reading for a while. Thanks!

** Tuesday **

Lucifer and Chloe stepped out of Lucifer's private jet early that morning twenty-four hours after they left Los Angeles. Even for eight o'clock in the morning, Thailand was very hot, although being natives from Southern California and somewhere else that's South, Phi Phi Island wasn't too much for the newly wedded couple to handle. 

As they stepped off the jet into the small airport, they had to take their bags, go through security and have their passports checked before being able to enter the country. Of course, Lucifer couldn't help but make inappropriate comments to the TSA guy who did his pat-down, earning _the glare_ from Chloe.

To say that they were excited for their honeymoon was an understatement. Chloe and Lucifer were _ecstatic_. They had spent so much time planning, seeing as this is their very first vacation away from Iris; Chloe did not hold back when deciding what they should do in Thailand, and Lucifer wanted to get the fun started a little early on the seventeen hour plane ride (plus time zone changes).

When all of that was finally finished, they walked through the airport to find the man who was supposed to drive them to the place they would be staying for their trip. They found him easily, as the man was holding a sign with Lucifer's last name written in capital letters on it. Lucifer was able to speak to the driver in his native language, which Chloe had no hope of understanding, but he did seem very friendly. 

He helped them load their suitcases into the trunk of his car before Chloe and Lucifer slid into the backseat. They sat right next to each other the entire way with Chloe cuddled into Lucifer's side. They had slept a little while on the plane, but she still felt exhausted and jet-lagged. 

"So where are we going?" Chloe asked. Lucifer had insisted on surprising her with wherever they would be staying, but they planned everything else about their honeymoon together. 

He smirked and kissed the top of her head while rubbing her arm, saying, "You'll see when we get there, darling."

Chloe grumbled. She's not the biggest fan of surprises. 

The drove to the coastline up to a small house right on the beach. The driver pulled the car right to the front, and after putting the car in park, hurried around to the back to open up the trunk where their suitcases were. 

Lucifer opened up the door he was nearest to and slid out, followed by Chloe. 

A man came jogging out of the house on the beach, eagerly greeting them in...Chloe thinks it's Mandarin Chinese, but she's not one hundred percent sure on that. Lucifer clearly understood him though, and she recognized when he was introducing her to the new man. 

"Hi," Chloe said with a wave. 

The man smiled at her, nodded his head, and replied hesitantly, "Hi."

Now Lucifer spoke to Chloe in English, "This lovely chap is the owner of the flat we'll be renting for the next few days. His name is Good Good, once you translate it into English."

Chloe smiled and nodded in understanding.

He continued talking to Lucifer before gesturing for them both to follow him. Before they left, Chloe and Lucifer (who tipped very generously) took their bags from their driver and thanked him before he drove off. Good Good led Lucifer and Chloe down the beach and past his house closer to the coastline.

"Oh _wow_ ," Chloe breathed as she saw what they were walking toward, "is that where we're staying?"

"Yes!" Lucifer replied excitedly, his cheshire grin lighting up his face.

Out on the crystal blue waters of Phi Phi island was a small dark brown hut that was held up above the ocean by metal beams. The hut had wooden siding, glass panes that wrapped around the backside, and a pointed, grass roof. A wooden dock lead all the way from the sand out to the hut. 

They walked all the way down the dock and Good Good used a key to unlock the front door. As they all walked inside, Chloe noticed that the hut was mostly bedroom. Right as they walked in, a king sized bed with white silk sheets and a red duvet seemed to be the centerpiece of the hut, and it sat right in front of the window panes that looked out over the ocean. The floor was made out of light hard wood but a red rug sat at the entrance. Good Good gestured to and explained everything in his own language, but Chloe could pretty much figure it all out just by glancing around. There was a small kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, and Keurig with a small table and two chairs on the left of the hut. To the right was a very small room that Chloe guessed was the bathroom. 

As Chloe was investigating their room, Lucifer said something that sounded pleasantly final to Good Good. She turned around and saw Good Good handing Lucifer a set of keys and then waving to both of them before leaving the hut. 

Once the door closed behind him, Lucifer set the keys down on the kitchen table and grinned sultrily at Chloe, his eyes gleaming with mischief. 

"Do you approve, Detective?" He asked gliding toward her. 

A smile creeped up Chloe's face as he came into her space and placed his hands on her hips. "Oh, I do. That bed looks incredible by the way." 

He hummed low in his chest as he bent down to kiss her neck. 

"Perhaps we should finally get around to consummating our marriage, then?" He suggested. 

Ever since their disastrous wedding night where Azrael crashed the party and ending up spilling the beans to Ella, Chloe and Lucifer had been far too worried that Ella's brain would explode to focus on them. Over the past forty-eight hours, she had taken it surprisingly well. She hadn't shut off her phone because when Chloe texted her to check-in Sunday morning, Ella answered right away and said she was doing fine. That didn't convince Chloe in the slightest. Linda did, after Lucifer asked politely, go over to her apartment and began to dissect her feelings about her new revelation, in the guise of a mini-Tribe night. From what she told Chloe, their talk had gone very well. To Ella, all of this came as a shock, but she was relieved to know the truth. Everything made more sense now that she was in the know. Of course, she still felt betrayed by her friend Rae-Rae who actually lied to her for twenty years, and she was possibly on the verge of another faith crisis, but Linda mostly noticed that Ella had a lot of science-based questions. Like, she wanted to know what physiological differences angels and demons had from humans, if they have any. Since angels and humans are different species, how are Charlie and Iris possible? Do angels have wings? Do they work similar to a bird's? Eventually, she just went on a science rant, and Linda left shortly after. 

If Ella seemed to be doing okay, and Linda didn't think she was lying, Chloe and Lucifer didn't see why they couldn't still go on their trip. They had gotten there by private jet, after all, so if there was an emergency, they could be reached and get home within twenty-four hours. 

"Don't you want to do it tonight after we're both rested and can make it more romantic?" She teased. Realistically though, Chloe was dead tired, and she had gotten new lingerie for the trip that she never would have worn before, but she wanted to surprise him with it for their wedding night. She wasn't currently wearing it.

He hummed disappointedly but then moved his lips down her collar bone. 

Chloe suddenly found it more difficult to breathe as her skinned flared with goosebumps and her lower muscles tingled. Why was he so good at this? It's really not fair.

"It's just," She managed to say through heavy breaths, "I don't have the stamina you do."

Lucifer brought his lips up and away from the top of her breasts, just as Chloe's back was slowly arching backward. He smiled fondly at her, gazing at her through drooped eyelids as he quietly said, "Okay." Then he gently kissed her lips and continued, "Get some rest, Mrs. Morningstar."

Chloe chuckled, took him by the hand, and led him over to the bed. Chloe still hadn't decided whether she would change her last name or not. She didn't with Dan, so she probably shouldn't with Lucifer. Although, when she married Dan, she was still establishing herself as a serious police officer and detective. She didn't really want to be seen as "The Other Espinoza" or "The Female Espinoza". If she took Lucifer's last name, would that be the same case? Chloe is more established and respected at the precinct now. It is their daughter's last name, too. Although, everyone does know her as Detective Decker. 

Oh well, they are married now, and that's all that matters. What her last name is doesn't seem like the biggest problem they could be dealing with.

Lucifer quickly stripped down into his boxers before crawling into bed. Chloe only took off her shoes and socks before coming in after him. Once they were both settled and her head hit the pillow, Chloe was out like a light.

She woke around three o'clock that afternoon. The sun was blazing outside and causing the light blue water to look even clearer than it had when they arrived that morning. She listened to the soft sounds of water lapping against the metal beams supporting the hut, like muffled white noise. Chloe turned over and saw that Lucifer was already awake and scrolling through his phone.

"Hey," Chloe yawned.

"Well good morning Sleeping Beauty, or afternoon, really." He smirked.

Chloe chuckled and then asked, "Whatcha doin?"

"Looking at the different restaurants on the island to see what we might like tonight." He stated.

"Anything good so far?" Chloe asked.

"Besides all of them? Lucifer countered, looking at her out of the corners of his eyes.

Chloe snuggled up closer to him and reached out for the phone, saying with a smirk, "I can take a look if you want to go get ready. Going through your whole routine will probably take until we're ready to go get dinner anyway."

Lucifer let out a long breath through his nose and said, "Oh, you think you're very funny, don't you Detective."

"I'm hilarious." Chloe stated, taking the phone from him. 

Lucifer smiled and kissed her temple before getting out of bed. "You're about as funny as Daniel was at that stand-up comedy sting we did."

"Just go get in the shower." Chloe waved him off.

Later that night, after both of them had finished getting ready and they had picked a place to eat, Chloe and Lucifer left their hut to go explore Phi Phi Island. As soon as they left the hut, Chloe could hear the music blasting from the town. The closer they got, she could see club upon club beginning to open, strobe lights dancing in the windows, and people dressed up for a night out.

"Now I see why you wanted to stay here." Chloe said, "It's a total party island."

Lucifer laughed through his teeth and admitted, "Guilty as charged, but at least I didn't put us on a boring island. There will be something new and exciting every night here!"

"I'll admit," Chloe continued, sliding her fingers into his, "I could use a whole week of adult time."

Lucifer sassed, "You mean, you don't prefer marathon reruns of Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, and all of our daughter's other Obsessions of the Week?"

Chloe laughed from her belly and added, "Are we horrible people subjecting Maze to that?"

Lucifer shrugged and said, "Mazikeen gets her kicks off torture, so there's a chance she's actually enjoying herself. The urchin will be there, and she's used to that drivel. Plus with Daniel and Amenadiel switching off days with her - if she hates those bloody shows as much as I do - I think a demon as cunning as Mazikeen will be able to avoid the poor excuse for television."

"I don't know, Iris is stubborn." Chloe reminded him, "If she wants Aunty May to watch Mickey with her, she's not going to stop until Maze gives up."

Lucifer snorted because Chloe was totally right. He smiled proudly as they were about to reach the restaurant and beamed, "That's my girl."

They were seated right away and ordered an array of appetizers to share. Chloe made a point of mentioning that when she travels, she likes to try as many exotic foods as she can. She can get a cheeseburger or anything "American" like that at home.

They ordered drinks with their food as well, and even though Chloe planned to hydrate first, she had no hesitations buying actual adult drinks while not having to care about being responsible.

Following dinner, they bar-hopped to all of the different clubs in the village, ordering more drinks, dancing, and meeting new people from all over the world. Lucifer, of course, was able to talk with everybody (while having to make it very clear that he was off the market), but they did meet a very nice couple from Ireland who were also in Thailand on their honeymoon, and Chloe had a nice conversation with them. They joined countless couples and groups on the dancefloors, moving with the energy of the crowd and the beat of the music. Lucifer was able to partake in much handsier dancing than he's ever been able to with Chloe, and she was all for it. 

Around two o'clock in the morning, after more drinks than Chloe's had since her benders with Maze, Chloe almost fell off a barstool when another song came on that she wanted to dance to. 

Lucifer caught her before she could face-plant into the ground and said into her ear, "I think it's about time to call it a night, Detective."

Chloe dramatically rolled her eyes and slurred, "Oh come on! Aren't you always saying," She switched over horrible imitation of his accent, "Live a lil', Dete'tive!" Then she switched back as she poked his chest with determination, "It's. Our. Honeymoon. Let's just...be crazy!"

She stumbled again, but Lucifer caught her and said, "And we have done marvelously at that, but we can also be crazy for the next six nights. You planned those excursions for tomorrow, remember? We don't want you to be sick for those."

Chloe looked up at him with glassy, wide eyes and continued slurring, her voice almost childish, "Oh yeah. We're going to go to the beach and see monkeys."

Lucifer nodded, slowly leading her out of the club. Drunk Chloe continued rambling all the way back to the hut while stumbling. He held onto her with one arm by the waist, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He wanted more than anything for Chloe to enjoy this vacation, and that includes getting wasted, but he also knows that she'd be upset if she was too sick to do any of the daily activities she had spent so long planning and was so excited about. Hence his uncharacteristic decision to call it a night. 

He felt eyes on him, so he looked to his right and saw Chloe smiling dopily at him from half-lidded eyes. 

"What?" He smiled.

Chloe hummed and laughed and slurred, "You're hot."

Lucifer couldn't help but laugh and replied, "Well thank you for finally noticing."

Chloe sighed and wrapped both arms around him as they walked, laying her head on his chest.

They reached the hut a few minutes later, and Lucifer unlocked the door. Once they were both inside, Lucifer turned around from relocking the door and all of a sudden had a whole detective flinging herself onto him. 

"Oh hello," He gasped, instinctively throwing his arms underneath her bottom so that she wouldn't fall. 

Chloe sloppily devoured his lips, not being shy at all with her use of tongue. 

"Mmm, Detective?" Lucifer tried to say around her mouth, "Are you sure about this?"

Chloe pulled back for a moment and panted, "If I wasn't, would we be making out right now?"

She plunged back in, but this time Lucifer pulled away, his eyebrows raised as he said, "Point, and don't get me wrong, I am all for this. I really am. I just want to make sure you really want this, and that you're...all here making this decision."

Chloe stopped trying to kiss him, a deep frown pulling at her lips, as she defeatedly stated, "You think I'm too drunk for sex."

"No," Lucifer hesitated, even though it was only partially true. The real reason was this, "There's no reason to believe consent doesn't exist within marriage, and I am a huge proponent of consent and choice...obviously. I love that you're letting loose, my dear, but I also care about you too much to do something you don't actually want to do." He implored. 

Chloe sighed and pushed her hair out of her face, acting much more serious than she had been previously when she was slap-happy drunk. 

She drummed her fingers on his shoulders and said, "You're right. How about this: you give me a few minutes to get some water and ibuprofen, maybe let me splash some water on my face. Then we'll see after that, okay?"

Lucifer gave a small smile and agreed, "Okay."

He let Chloe down and now she only slightly stumbled around the hut to grab her things before heading into the tiny bathroom. Lucifer took his time slowly removing his gray jacket, belt, shoes, and socks. This left only his trousers, white shirt, and dark blue vest to discard if/when the detective was ready. In the meantime, he decided to grab another water bottle from the kitchen, a granola bar, and his flask to set on the table near where Chloe slept this morning. Oh his detective and her low tolerance level. You know what? Getting a bucket or bin might not hurt either...

As he finished arranging one side of the bed for her inevitable hangover, he heard the bathroom door slowly creak open behind him. 

"Hi honey," Chloe lowly said behind him.

Lucifer slowly turned around and saw Chloe lounging with her back against the doorpost, a black top hat pulled low over her face. Her right leg was bent with her foot resting against the frame as well. Her head was tilted forward with the hat as she grinned deviously at him. Lucifer thought she looked amazing in general, but to his complete and utter shock, Chloe was wearing a bright red, one-piece lingerie that did not leave much to the imagination where her breasts were concerned. A slit ran all the way down the middle in between her breasts until right above where her belly button is. Black fishnet stockings ran all the way up her legs until they tucked underneath the top piece. Now, he has seen wonders like this before, however, he has never seen the detective in anything that might be considered sexy besides her generic brand undergarments or her exquisite birthday suit. 

"Bloody hell." Lucifer muttered as his eyes soaked her in, his smile grew, and his pants tightened.

**Wednesday**

They took their time getting out of bed the next morning. Considering all public and private adventures that took place the night before, Chloe and Lucifer really weren't upset about getting to the beach well after lunch time. 

They clearly didn't beat the crowd, but there was still plenty of space. Today, they took things slow and headed to the other side of Phi Phi Island just to hang out at the public beach. The temperature was nearly at its scorching high of the day, but the crystal blue water felt like a paradise oasis underneath the hot sun. This was complimented by the smooth, dark gray rocks that towered over them on both sides as the island naturally curved. The sand underneath their toes was as soft as sugar and so unlike what they had back home.

"Shame you don't have a bathing suit to match that lovely little get-up from last night." Lucifer cheekily grinned at Chloe from behind his dark Ray Bans as he crouched down in the water.

Chloe gently treaded the water around her - in her Target one-piece black bathing suit - as she replied dryly, "I can only spend so much at Victoria's Secret."

Lucifer supplied, "Spend as much as you like once we get home and combine bank accounts. I'll have no objections."

Chloe chuckled as she dipped her head backward into the water, letting her ponytail and scalp cool off. As she came back up she asked, "I still can't believe we got married."

He hesitated for a minute before slowly swimming closer to her. "That's good shock, right?"

Chloe smiled and wrapped herself around him in the water, "It's very good." With that, she leaned her head up and kissed him as he smiled back at her. 

***

After swimming for a bit, they made their way up the beach to a little shack of a store that rented out kayaks. A group tour was heading out at that time, so Chloe and Lucifer decided to join them. Lucifer lugged both single kayaks on his shoulders over to the river they were allowed to kayak down while Chloe held the paddles. She was perfectly fine lugging her own kayak, but Lucifer insisted. Part of her wondered if him wanting to lift large boats above his head had something to do with the fact that he was shirtless and wet. Frankly, she did not mind in the slightest, nor it seemed did many of the other kayakers.

Once they reached the entrance point, they had to put on some gear before they were allowed to do anything else. 

"I don't need a damned life vest, and helmet hair never looked good on anyone." Lucifer grumbled as he held the life jacket away from him by two fingers, like it was a very dirty sock. 

Chloe buckled her jacket into place and said, "We have to with the group. It's for safety in case your boat tips."

Lucifer deadpanned, "I know that, Detective. It just doesn't apply to me."

Chloe impatiently stomped her foot in the sand and glared at him. "How many times have we talked about this? Ever since Iris-"

Lucifer grinned at her and cheeked, "You look awfully cute in your little helmet and vest when you're angry."

Chloe narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses and pursed her lips. Instead of instigating something, Chloe just shook her head and proceeded to push her kayak into the water.

Lucifer grumbled as the tour guide began leading the group into the water. He begrudgingly shrugged on his life jacket and snapped his helmet into place before following Chloe in the water. 

They paddled on for quite a few miles, Chloe and Lucifer drifting as close to each other as they could. The group passed underneath jungle trees, watching as wildlife flew overhead, swam beneath them, or crawled on the rocks near them. From the front of the group, the tour guide named all of the animals they saw and added a few fun facts and dry jokes. 

In a large tree up ahead, everyone had pulled out phones and stopped to admire a large family of small brown monkeys.

"Oh look at that!" Chloe said, pulling out her own cell phone to take pictures and videos. This island was known to have quite a few monkey inhabitants, so Chloe hoped they'd be able to see some today. She smiled fondly and said, "Trixie would have loved this when she was little."

"She'd probably still enjoy this now." Lucifer commented. 

"My little monkey." Chloe sighed. "Is it against honeymoon rules to say I miss them?"

Lucifer took a deep breath and replied, "My first thought is to say yes, and you'll be highly disciplined later."

Chloe snorted and blushed slightly. 

"But," Lucifer continued, "I would be quite the hypocrite, then."

Chloe looked away from the monkeys and to him with a sad smile.

"Don't get me wrong!" Lucifer defended himself immediately, "Having a break from the ear-piercing girly noises, toilet-training, and insufferable educational television shows is absolutely marvelous. I would stay here forever with you if I could...but...I do think about Little Bullet a lot."

Chloe nodded in understanding. She would have said something reassuring as well, but the tour guide began paddling again. 

***

"Thanks again for babysitting, Maze. We really appreciate it." Chloe said over FaceTime that evening. 

Maze shrugged on the other end and said, "It's not a big deal. I get to hang out with the girls, and Lil' Devil is showing some major potential in combat practice. She definitely has the hands for knife skills."

Chloe pressed her lips together and harshly said, "Well, considering that Iris isn't even three years old, we shouldn't know that she might be good with knives."

Maze opened her mouth the say something else when Trixie could be heard in the background, "We only gave her plastic ones. Promise!"

Maze deadpanned and grumbled about how plastic knives are stupid and nothing like real weapons. 

Chloe slowly said, "Maze, we love you, and we're so grateful that you're helping to take care of the girls this week, but please no more knife play with Iris."

"Fine." Maze growled. 

"Don't listen to her Mazikeen!" Lucifer called out from the bathroom. "Self-defense is very important."

Chloe called back to him, "She's two! Who does she need to defend herself from?"

Lucifer poked his head out of the bathroom door, rolled his eyes, and replied, "From boys when she's older, obviously."

Chloe rolled her eyes and Maze said, "Okay, I gotta put the little devil down for a nap so Trix and I can watch a movie."

Chloe smiled and said, "Alright, thanks for letting us check in. Have fun with your movie!"

With that, Maze hung up. 

Lucifer slid into the bed as soon as Chloe put her phone down and snuggled into her. 

"I can't believe I actually miss that little hellion. It's only been two bloody days!" He grumbled. Chloe chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp.

"I can. You actually adore her, and she's pretty obsessed with you. It's really adorable." Chloe giggled. 

Lucifer scoffed, "What female isn't obsessed with me?"

Chloe scoffed right back at him and retorted, "Uh..." while pointing to herself.

Lucifer held up his left hand, wiggling his ring finger, and argued, "Obviously that changed. You took a page out of Beyoncé's playbook and said, 'I like it, so I'm going to put a ring on it'."

Chloe rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh. 

Lucifer added, as he sat up in their bed, "And, might I remind you that our daughter has always liked me best?"

Chloe cocked one eyebrow as her mouth hung open affronted, "Excuse me?"

Now Lucifer rolled his eyes and explained, "Obviously she only liked you for your boobs when she was an infant."

She leaned her head to the side, slowly, and said, "And that's different from you...how? When we first met you fan-boyed over Hot Tub High School and kept pestering me to have sex with you."

Lucifer raised a finger in the air and countered, "Your magnificent lady parts were only part of the reason I was intrigued by you at first. Mostly it was your defective inability to succumb to my charms. Clearly, our offspring was born with no such immunity, and she's normal."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, rolled her eyes, and clicked her tongue in disbelief, saying, "So it has nothing to do with the fact that we're good parents? It's all just your mojo. Okay, sure."

Lucifer shrugged and offhandedly said, "Don't believe me? Fine. Let's just make another one and see how that one reacts to me."

Chloe tried to inhale and swallow at the same time, which led to her choking on her own saliva and gasping for air as she tried to process what Lucifer just suggested.

"Let's...what?" Chloe gasped as Lucifer patted her back until she recomposed herself.

Once Chloe caught her breath, she looked up at him and pointed with an accusatory finger, "Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?"

Lucifer's cheshire smile crawled up his face as his eyes lit up with mischief. "Oooh, I like that. Call me your husband again!" He leaned in to kiss her neck, but she pushed him away.

"No, Lucifer, I'm serious." Chloe implored. She pushed him back up as she looked at him wide-eyed. He dropped the silly act and his expression became more serious and searching, with a hint of that confused, lost puppy dog.

"Did you just ask to have another baby?" Chloe asked. 

"I, uh," Lucifer stammered. Then he shook his head and laughed, the playful and childish side of him returning, "Joking, Detective! Goodness me, no, Little Bullet terrified me enough before she was born. Bloody hell, what am I talking about? She still terrifies me, but I do love her very much." He leaned back in bed and looked up at the ceiling.

Chloe laughed uneasily, and she too leaned back to look up at the ceiling, "Yeah, you're totally right. We have too much on our plates, Iris was completely unplanned anyway."

"Ended up not being a bad thing, though." Lucifer pointed out.

"Definitely not a bad thing." Chloe agreed. 

They laid there in silence for a moment before Chloe added, "I mean...we do have enough room in the house for another baby." Then she shook her head with absurdity and dismissed that thought with, "No, we can't! We just got married. We need to focus on ourselves right now."

"Plus, with Miss Lopez just finding out about all things Celestial, adding another future teenage mutant ninja angel to the picture might not be wise." Lucifer added. "Although," He smiled dopily, "I do miss those days with Bullet when she could fit in both of my hands and sleep against my chest." He held his hands out in front of his chest like he was cradling an invisible baby against his chest. "She's growing up now."

Chloe sighed sadly. Iris wasn't a baby anymore at all. She thinks they're about done potty-training her, and when they get back from Thailand, it will almost be Iris's third birthday. Their daughter's baby days are gone. 

"That went so fast." Chloe breathed. She recalled watching Lucifer's first skin-to-skin bonding session with Iris just after she was born, and Chloe was so stunned and in love with the image of the love of her life cradling their child that she would have gladly gone through pregnancy again to have another one of their babies again. Is she still willing to do that?

"Hypothetically speaking," Chloe said louder now, "if we did...have another baby...would you want another girl or a boy?"

Lucifer hummed, avoiding eye contact with her at first, but then he glanced at her, "Hypothetically?"

Chloe nodded. Lucifer took a deep breath and answered, "Part of me still fears that a boy would be some eventual kick in the bullocks from Dad, that he might use my son against me or as revenge somehow." He gnawed on the inside of his cheek for a moment before continuing, "I do enjoy raising a girl, but perhaps a boy would be enjoyable, too. Especially when he's of legal age."

Chloe huffed. She should have known that was coming. 

Then Lucifer began laughing hysterically and uncontrollably. 

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked hesitantly. 

Lucifer stopped as best as he could with a wide smile and tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. "Detective!" He started, "I despise children!"

Chloe pinched her eyebrows at him and awkwardly replied, "Uh, yeah, you've mentioned. But you also said you really like your own child."

"I do!" Lucifer exclaimed. "I've always been disgusted by the little creatures. Little Bullet really _is_ just like the others. She depends on us for everything, takes so much energy out of us we literally have to schedule times we can have sex some days, she's sticky, she's loud, she doesn't know how to contain her bodily fluids nor much about personal hygiene. Even so, I would move Heaven, Earth, and Hell if I needed to for her sake. How the bloody hell did she do that plus make me want another one of her? Honestly, how?"

Chloe smiled fondly, shook her head, and sarcastically replied, "It's three years later, but welcome to Parenthood. Kids drive you absolutely insane and change your entire life, and sometimes not in a good way, but you'd lay down your life for them."

Lucifer nodded as he proceeded to stare at the ceiling again.

The weight of their conversation sat uncomfortably in the room like two elephants sitting on their chests. Chloe grew increasingly anxious as images of Iris as a big sister bombarded her mind's eye, and she couldn't shake it. Chloe could not and found that she did not want to think about anything else but having another baby. 

"Lucifer?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbow and looking him in the eyes. He remained laying down, but he turned on his side to look at her. Chloe paused before slowly asking, "Do you want to have another baby with me?"

She waited patiently for Lucifer's answer. His expression didn't change, but she saw the conflicting emotions and impending vulnerability in his eyes, and how they darted around like he was in a situation that made him uncomfortable. If he says no, Chloe would completely support him and understand. 

To her surprise, his eyes came to a stop as he glanced down at the bed beneath them, breathed a laugh, and his smile grew genuinely (not cheeky like it is most of the time) making his eyes sparkle. Then he held his head up high, his smile just as bright as his eyes, as he answered, "Yes. Yes, I think I would very much like that."

Chloe beamed, nodded vigorously, and breathed, "Okay!"

Lucifer leaned his head in to touch his forehead against her own, waggled his eyebrows, and asked, "When do we start?"

Chloe shrugged and answered, "Right now?"

Lucifer grinned deviously and said lowly, "Lovely."

He pressed her back against the bed and kissed her deeply as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

"And this means I don't have to wear the bloody rubbers anymore!" He exclaimed. 

Chloe shook her head with a laugh. "Good thing I didn't take my pill yet tonight. I guess I can stop doing that now. Actually - now that I think about it - if this happens, this will be my very first planned pregnancy."

Lucifer scoffed sarcastically and replied, "Well what do you know? Mine too!"

Chloe playfully slapped his chest, saying, "You know what I mean! Trixie and Iris were welcomed accidents."

"This will be your first on-purpose spawn." Lucifer added. 

"Yes." Chloe giggled. 

"Still same." Lucifer chuckled. Then he glanced down at himself and exclaimed, "Alright boys, let's get a wriggle on. There's work to be done!" 

Chloe rolled her eyes but laughed, "You're such a dork."

Lucifer pressed a finger to her mouth, making a shushing noise, as he whispered, "I'm trying to put a child in you, hush."

Chloe responded by pulling his face down to hers and kissing him long and deep. 

And thus, on their honeymoon in Thailand, Lucifer Morningstar and Chloe Decker began the process of Trying To Conceive. Who would have ever thought?

** Thursday **

The next morning, Chloe and Lucifer hopped on a boat with dozens of other passengers over to the capitol, Bangkok, to spend the day. 

To Chloe's dismay, the leftover ecstasy from last night's thrills plus the anticipation of today's adventure were ruined by her husband's whining. 

"One would think they would supply you with ponchos or give you a heads up before taking a bloody water ride!" He growled as he tried to hide underneath his leather jacket. "Everything is completely ruined!"

And by everything, Chloe is pretty sure he meant his hair. For their plans today, Lucifer adorned an outfit Chloe hadn't seen him wear since very early on in their partnership. He had dark blue jeans, a dark gray t-shirt, and a very expensive looking black leather jacket. Today had been mostly his day to plan, and she knew very little about all that they would be doing, which made her a little nervous. 

When they finally reached the mainland, they got off the boat, and Lucifer led Chloe over to a small vehicle rental place near the docks. 

"I figured speed might be the most ideal form of travel today." Lucifer smirked with a raised eyebrow as he dangled a set of keys in front of her. 

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "Did you find a corvette or something here?"

"Unfortunately, no." Lucifer's playfulness faded slightly but his smirk remained. "But, I figured that the theme of this honeymoon is all about adventures we couldn't normally go on with the offspring and triple-checking that our marriage is consummated."

Chloe gave a small chuckle. She followed Lucifer over a ways to a row of motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters. 

He presented with two arms out in front of him and beamed, "Ta da!"

Chloe's eyebrows shot up on her head as she pointed to their vehicle, "You rented us a motorcycle for the day?"

"When in Rome, Detective. Or in this case, Bangkok." He cheeked.

The motorcycle they were renting was clearly quite a few years old, but it started up immediately as soon as Lucifer got himself situated on it, and it seemed to be in very good shape. Chloe hopped onto the backseat right after, clipped her helmet on, and wrapped her arms around his middle. 

"Gosh, I don't think I've ridden a motorcycle since I was, like, eighteen." Chloe reminisced. 

Lucifer glanced over his shoulder as he backed them up onto the street and asked, "Oh? Another rebellious teenaged-Detective story I need to hear about? Do tell, darling."

Chloe shrugged and answered, "Not really. Jed got a motorcycle from his parents after he graduated high school. We took a rode trip on it the last summer we were together." Chloe's voice trailed off as she remembered the hot wind whipping across her face, blowing her hair in all sorts of directions, and the security of hugging Jed despite the lack of seatbelts and doors on the bike. 

Lucifer's tensing frame shook her from her stroll down memory lane. Chloe looked straight ahead and saw that Lucifer's shoulders were rigid as he waited for a moment to merge into traffic, and he was remaining uncharacteristically quiet.

"Hey, you don't need to be jealous." Chloe softly reminded him. "I married you, remember?"

"After Detective Douche." He grumbled

Chloe pressed her lips tightly together and countered, "Okay, but I never asked Dan for a second baby, or how about the fact that I'm completely in love with you?"

Lucifer relaxed and then looked back to her with a sly grin, "Much more mature decisions, I assure you."

Chloe rolled her eyes and deadpanned, "Just drive."

"Yes ma'am." Lucifer sassed with a chuckle as he revved the engine and sped off down the street, making Chloe gasped and hang tightly onto him.

They drove around the streets of Bangkok for a while until they found a small shopping villa set up in the middle of the street. Lucifer parked the bike and they walked around for a little bit, wandering wherever their feet took them. They talked with some locals, bought a few gifts for the people back home, listened to some local musicians, and even found a few temples they could tour. 

As the afternoon hit, they got back on the motorcycle to find a place for lunch, once again trying to go for only local food. 

"Mind if I drive?" Chloe asked as they finished lunch and decided on another drive.

Lucifer gestured to the bike and said, "It's all yours Wild Thing."

Chloe giggled with excitement as she hurried over to the bike. She pushed her hair back and tucked her helmet under one arm while she straddled the bike. Once she was situated and wanted to put her helmet on, she looked back over to Lucifer, who hadn't moved at all. He was staring at her all doughy-eyed with his lips quirked up in the tiniest smile. 

"Are you coming?" Chloe asked. 

Lucifer shook his head, shaking himself from his stupor, readjusted his jacket, and diverted, "I think the helmet should definitely accompany us in the bedroom tonight, Detective. I hate helmets, but you look positively gorgeous." 

Chloe blushed and muttered, "Thanks."

He got on after her and held her waist gently, but for the most part, he sat up straight. 

Before driving off, Chloe reminded him, "You know, we can't make a baby if you're a vegetable."

Lucifer scoffed, and Chloe's sure he rolled his eyes, as he replied, "I refuse to wear a disgusting, hair-annihilating helmet. Those things will do more harm than good to you, Detective."

"It protects your brain, God forbid we crash!" She argued.

"Well I'm sure Dad would love that, but you're probably more likely to get ringworm from these things than get a head injury."

Chloe began to rev the engine as she warned, "Just don't come crying to me when you end up back in Hell because you killed yourself by not listening to me or wearing a helmet."

She heard him grumble something incoherent (probably curses in a language she doesn't know), but she also felt him moving around, and Chloe knew she had won. 

Revving hard, Chloe sped down the street, taking back roads and less-congested streets for as long as she pleased. They took in the view of the elegant city, relished in the wind cooling them off on the hot day, and for once, Chloe understood the phrase, "Drive like the devil". It was exhilarating. 

They came to a stop outside of another town they wanted to explore. Lucifer held her around the middle before letting her get off the bike. 

"You know, our child might be in there right now. Embryonic and microscopic but still ours." He said, gently caressing Chloe's lower stomach.

Chloe smiled at the sentiment but reminded him, "I doubt it. Last night was amazing, but I just stopped birth control. All of that is probably still in my system."

Lucifer rested his chin on her shoulder and argued, "That was brilliant work I did! I'd be very shocked if that didn't knock you up. You know, last night reminded me very much of Little Bullet's conception."

Chloe turned her head, pecked his lips, and then got off the bike. 

The two of them walked around for a few more hours until sunset. Then they got dinner and explored the various clubs and bars Bangkok had to offer. Once they decided that they wanted to be by themselves, they got back on the Boat Ride From Hell back to Phi Phi, where they checked once again that their marriage was consummated, and to try to make a baby, just in case nothing stuck last night.

** Friday **

The next morning, they headed back into Bangkok, but not the city/motorcycle tour they did on their own yesterday. Today was Chloe's day, and for their next adventure, they were heading into the jungle.

Luckily, she had convinced Lucifer to pack more clothes than just his suits after many debates. He at least agreed that five thousand dollar designer suits should not be worn in the jungles of Thailand.

They joined a group of other tourists in a van, and soon they were off with about three tour guides. 

First, they hiked a trail through the jungle to a zip-lining camp hundreds of feet up in the trees. Everywhere around them was lush green for miles, and varieties of birds and bugs serenaded the humid air. 

Before they could begin, everyone had to get fitted for a harness, gloves, and a helmet (which Lucifer cursed out thoroughly). 

Once their group was geared-up and ready to go, the tour guides ushered them up into the trees. One tour guide slid down the first cable to the next platform while the other two guides ushered the group across. 

Chloe's turn came up, and the tour guide explained to her in the best English he could to put her right hand on the clip attaching the harness to the cable, and her left hand just below the wheel on the cable. Chloe got ready, backed up a few paces, and then took a running leap out into the air. She immediately tucked her legs into her chest and yelled with the thrill of gliding hundreds of feet above the forest floor. She set her feet down once she reached the next platform and regained her balance. The other tour guide detached her from the cable, and Chloe turned around just in time to watch Lucifer finish getting attached to the cable. She also noticed the tour guide being much handsier with him than he had been with her. However, Chloe brushed off any building jealousy or offense when Lucifer looked straight at her with the cheekiest grin on his face, giving her a double thumbs up, before pushing off the ledge and zipping over to her. 

She stepped back so the other tour guide could help release Lucifer from the cable, but he smirked at her and stated, "Well, that wasn't horrible."

Together, they climbed the stairs toward the next platform and Chloe joked, "Oh yeah, you're a regular Tarzan."

"I'm hardly a jungle savage!" Lucifer retorted. 

Chloe giggled, turned around and kissed him on the lips, immediately vanquishing that frustrated crease between his eyebrows.

"You're adorable." She said softly, "I'm really glad you're doing this with me."

Ignoring her second statement, Lucifer demanded, "The devil is hardly adorable, Detective. Surely I've educated you enough over the years?"

Chloe rolled her eyes as she continued to ascend the steep tree stairs. 

"Yeah, sure. You keep telling yourself that, honey."

Once they both reached the next ledge, they had some time to hang out while their guides helped the rest of their group across. 

Chloe leaned into Lucifer as she gazed across the expanse of the jungle, breathing in the fresh air, and enjoying all of the sounds of nature. She, just for a moment, felt as if she was part of it. Like she was one of those exotic birds that made intricate calls to one another. Then she thought of wings.

"Is this anything like flying?" Chloe asked, "Like, how angels fly?"

Lucifer took a deep breath and answered, "No, not at all. It's much too slow at controlled. I...it's hard to explain to a mortal, although, I suppose our motorbike expedition yesterday is the closest thing I can compare flying to. Nothing on Earth comes close to what that used to be like."

Chloe nodded and then realized that convertibles can be a lot like motorcycles when it comes to speed and the feel of the wind. Lucifer's extensive collection of sports cars made much more sense now. Chloe decided not to push it though. Instead she breathed, "It's so beautiful up here."

"Yes," Lucifer breathed in reply, running his hands gently up and down her biceps before leaning down and kissing her cheek.

Soon, the rest of the group caught up to them, and they continued their ziplining trip. At the end of all of the cables, they made their way down to another camp filled with life jackets, boats, and paddles. 

It was time to go white water rafting!

Chloe and Lucifer were able to share a boat today, and thanks to their deeply established partnership, Lucifer used the paddle to maneuver them through the waves and rocks at Chloe's direction, all the while getting very _very_ wet, and having an absolute blast. 

They finished the day out with a hike and some dinner provided by the excursion company. Lucifer snuck Chloe out around sunset, led her a bit deeper into the trees and asked her if she had ever had sex in a jungle. 

Chloe, high on adrenaline and adventure, pressed her back up against a tree, and asked with a low tone, almost seductive, "And I thought you said you weren't a jungle savage?"

** Saturday **

Later Saturday morning, they checked out of their Phi Phi Island hut, leaving the dream-like romance of it behind for the next couple. They packed up their bags and headed onto Lucifer's private jet for a very quick flight to Phuket for the weekend. 

From there, Lucifer had booked them a suite near the top floor of a five-star hotel, over looking the city.

Most of the day was pretty relaxed. Chloe displayed more of her Victoria's Secret purchases, and even made tried some of the goodies Lucifer brought in his suitcase. 

When they got hungry, they ordered room service and some champagne and just ate in their bathrobes. Chloe turned on the TV, for the hell of it, and found a sitcom in Thai. Chloe had no idea what was being said, but from the acting, it seemed just as cheesy as any American sitcom with an added laugh track. Lucifer seemed pretty enamored by the show, and he gave small chuckles whenever the laugh track came on, assuming somebody did or said something funny. 

Later in the afternoon, they showered (together) and got dressed to go explore the city. They poked into different stores and bars for a while, doing everything moment-by-moment, and uncharacteristically for Chloe, without a plan. The spontaneity of it all is what made this trip that much more enjoyable. 

Chloe only found one problem as they sat down at their first bar. 

"What if, by some very small chance, I am pregnant? Should I not drink just in case? Although, we did have champagne at lunch, so I guess I already blew it."

Lucifer drank his scotch and then answered, "I think you're fine, Detective. If it really upsets you that much, don't drink. However, if you are pregnant, I really don't think a little alcohol would hurt anything, right? I mean, the child would only be the size of an eyelash or something."

"Probably smaller than that." Chloe mused, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm over thinking this. Or, alcohol at this stage could do serious damage!"

"Detective," Lucifer said a little impatiently, but then he calmed down after a deep breath and continued, "You drank during the very early stages last time, before you knew that Iris managed to bugger her way into you."

Chloe snorted a laugh, but Lucifer finished by imploring, "She turned out beautifully. I understand that you've never done the planned pregnancy thing before, so you're nervous, but please, just do what I would do for once, and don't worry about it! Just have fun!"

Chloe nodded with a small smile and agreed, "You're right. I won't go crazy like I did Tuesday night, but I can still have fun. It's still our honeymoon, after all."

"Right, and we're not supposed to be worried about sticky, whiney little urchins on our adults-only honeymoon." He smirked. 

With that in mind, Chloe stopped worrying the best she could for the night, and enjoyed what was left of their glorious weekend.

** Sunday **

"Um, I really don't think a smock ties in well with the Armani, do you Detective?" Lucifer whined. 

Chloe grumbled, "You're the one who insisted on wearing a suit to a freaking elephant sanctuary. Clashing styles is really all you're worried about?"

To be fair, everyone looked a little ridiculous in the knee-length, button-up, t-shirts the elephant sanctuary had given everyone to wear to protect their clothes from mud and excrement. 

Regardless of ugly shirts, Chloe was elated to finally be able to go to an elephant sanctuary. She's loved elephants since she was a little girl. The whole monkey nickname got her obsessed with African wildlife when she was around seven, so all throughout her elementary and middle school years, she did many reports on elephants, poaching, and ways to saved the endangered species. As an adult, she found some extra cash every once in a while to donate to various Save the Elephant organizations. Chloe was over the moon excited to find out that there was a sanctuary in Thailand for Asian elephants, and she wanted to visit so badly! This is definitely a creature humanity cannot afford to lose. 

They listened to instructions from one of the employees, and then they were able to go feed and pet some of the elephants. 

Chloe walked up to one slowly with a handful of special grass. Lucifer stayed a few feet behind her. He wasn't overly excited about today's agenda. Muck and dirt and all.

"Hey there," Chloe cooed as she held the grass out in front of her with her palm flat. The elephant she found was taller than her, but still smaller than the rest of the herd. Maybe this is a teenager?

"Are you hungry?" Chloe asked as the elephant raised its trunk to smell. Chloe saw what looked like a smile forming on its mouth as it scooped up the grass and stuck it in its mouth. She giggled at the weird sensation of trunk on her hand, but also at how cute this baby was. 

Chloe turned around and asked Lucifer, "Do you want to try?"

He huffed but sauntered forward and slowly offered his handful of grass to the elephant, just as the instructor told them to. The teenaged elephant sniffed the handful and raised its trunk to grab it, but suddenly a loud, furious, trumpeting sound split the air, just before hooves ground into the dirt below them menacingly. 

Behind the elephant Chloe and Lucifer were feeding was a much larger elephant that had just gone berserk and seemed to be looking dead at them, threateningly. 

As soon as it began throwing a tantrum and stampeding toward them, the teenaged elephant scampered off to hide behind the larger elephant. Many male sanctuary employees ran into action, trying to calm the elephant. 

The woman who had just shown Lucifer and Chloe how to feed the elephants came up beside them, her face and voice contorted with worry. 

"I don't know what's wrong with her! She's never had any issues with humans, especially around her calf. She loves people!"

Chloe heard Lucifer grunt and then he muttered, "Well there's the problem."

Chloe thought back on the woman's words and then asked in a low whisper, "Are you saying that the elephant can tell you're not human?"

Lucifer let out a long breath and explained, "They always were intelligent creatures. Dad always did have a soft spot for them, right up there with you lot, during Creation. I suppose humans are right in saying that an elephant can see into your soul."

Chloe blanched at that. She had heard that phrase before, but she didn't think that was actually true. 

The men trying to calm the mother elephant down were still struggling. 

Lucifer slowly strode forward, both of his hands raised next to his head in surrender while one held the bundle of grass. 

The elephant became increasingly agitated as he came closer. That's when Lucifer called out, "Oi! Easy! I'm not going to hurt you."

The elephant stared straight into Lucifer's eyes and he held hers right back. After a moment, she stopped fighting the men attempting to restrain her, but her eyes were still agitated and her trunk was held high. 

"I'm not going to hurt you." Lucifer implored calmly. The elephant huffed indignantly as she moved her trunk to smell, her eyes hard and untrusting. She glanced behind her at her calf to make sure he was safe. 

Eventually, Lucifer made it into the mother elephant's personal space without totally spooking her and maintaining eye contact the entire time. He slowly raised the grass up in his hand for her to take. The mother investigated the grass for much longer than her calf had, but then slowly, she picked it up and ate it. 

Lucifer gently placed his left hand on her trunk, petting her like he would a tamed horse. Chloe could just barely hear some of the soft things he was saying to calm her. 

"I know, I'm not what you're used to seeing. You probably would have preferred one of my siblings anyway. Or...maybe not. I think you lot have tended to like the humans better. My siblings aren't that interesting anyway."

The elephant continued to munch on her snack, and Chloe let out a small breath of shock when she started to see the elephant's body physically relaxing. Eventually, the mother tipped her head down and Lucifer was able to stroke the top of her head. 

He glanced over his shoulder at Chloe and offered a small nod with a tight smile, and Chloe took that as everything was under control. She slowly walked up toward the elephants and joined Lucifer in gently petting the mother elephant. 

One of the male employees rambled with shock, "I've never seen her act that way before! I literally cannot figure out how you were able to calm her down. Have you done this before?"

Lucifer shrugged but mostly focused on remaining as calm as possible with the elephant, but he answered, "Not for a _very_ long time."

He leaned in close to Chloe's ear and whispered, "At least I didn't show her more of my soul." He took in a sharp breath through his teeth and added, "Then we might all look like roadkill about now."

Chloe laughed exasperatedly and nodded in agreement. 

At the end of their time with the elephants, Chloe had discarded her smock and washed her hands. Now that she was ready to leave, Lucifer was nowhere to be found. She backtracked through the entire sanctuary, asking a few of the employees if they had seen her husband. One of them said they thought they saw him going into the main building with the manager. Thanking the employee, she headed off toward the main office building. 

She did find Lucifer in there, shaking the hand of another man in a business suit, albeit, nowhere near as expensive looking as Lucifer's. They exchanged pleasantries in Thai, and then Lucifer turned around. He stopped and smiled with glee, exclaiming, "Detective!"

"Hi," Chloe said, unsure why the other man behind them was literally vibrating with excitement. "What's going on?" She asked. 

Lucifer seemed to deflate some, but he admitted in a low tone, "I was going to tell you later, but I figured since these creatures mean so much to you, and clearly, they aren't as brainless as most of Dad's experiments turned out." He bit out, "I've arranged to be a silent donor with the sanctuary."

Chloe's eyes widened as she blinked and replied, "Wow, that's...wait, what does that mean?"

Lucifer explained, "We've agreed on me sending over a check with a negotiated amount once a year, and that money will be used for the medical care and rehabilitation of all of the pachyderms that come into their care."

Chloe narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but ask a bit coldly, "All of that sounds amazing, but how much does a yearly elephant vet bill cost?"

"Somewhere upward of a hundred grand." Lucifer stated immediately. 

Chloe's mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened even further. "Lucifer, that's about my entire yearly income! Look, I understand it's for a good cause, but now that the money is our money, I really wished you would have talked to me about donating a hundred thousand dollars to an animal sanctuary every year! We have two kids to take care of, too."

Lucifer nearly rolled his eyes, but he stopped himself and replied, "Detective, I assure you, we are fine. If it makes you feel better, we can go over the math of it all at home, but I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't absolutely certain I could, plus give you everything you want, _plus_ provide for the offspring, who by the way, do nothing to contribute to the stability of the household. I mean, Trixie is nearly an adult. She can start pulling her own weight."

For as angry as Chloe still wanted to be for Lucifer still making rash spending choices without her agreement, she had to admit that he did have a point. Chloe doesn't exactly know how much money is in her husband's name, but if she had to guess, it's enough to make Steve Jobs look like a blue collar worker. They would be fine, their kids would be fine, and maybe they can help save some endangered animals while they're at it.

She laughed at his comment about Trixie, and used it as her segue into taking him back to the hotel.

"And you can't tell me the girls wouldn't have been on Cloud Nine here today. Now that we're part of the business, we can take them to Thailand to visit the elephants whenever we'd like, for free!" He added. "Oh! Now I have something to preoccupy them with the next time you go on a business trip, brilliant!"

** Monday **

On their last day in Thailand, Chloe and Lucifer used it as their last morning and afternoon of relaxation before heading back into the hustle and bustle of L.A. life, work, and parenting. They spent another day at the beach, soaking up the sun, swimming, drinking, and even renting jet skis to ride. 

If anybody asks, Chloe totally won their race. Don't let Lucifer fool you, even though, yes, it was close.

Around three o'clock, they packed up their things and went back to the hotel to pack up and check out. For as wonderful, adventurous, and eventful their honeymoon had been, they did need to get back to Los Angeles. 

As Chloe and Lucifer boarded his jet once again, they traded reasons back and forth to go home and not stay in Thailand for another week. They both had been very tempted just to stay. Apparently they could afford it, too.

"Murderers needed to be punished." Lucifer supplied.

"We probably should take our child back and let our friends off of babysitting duty." Chloe added. 

Lucifer grimaced and asked, "Is that a reason to go home or stay here, you're not exactly being clear."

Chloe laughed and he smiled in reply before she added another reason, this time more dire, "We really need to check in with Ella. I think giving her space was the best thing either of us could have done, but I've thought about her everyday of this trip at some point. I'm really worried about her, Lucifer."

He let out a long breath as he stared out the window, his posture rigid, and reminding Chloe's primal brain that he was something other. She's gotten better at dismissing that instinct, though. 

"Miss Lopez is much stronger than most give her credit for. However, I would be lying if I said that her history with my sister and Dad don't make me slightly nervous."

Chloe paused for a moment, taking that all in. Then she said, "I don't know if I've ever seen closer friends than you and Ella, Lucifer. I really hope you two can work through this."

He kept quiet for a moment as he continued to fixate hard on something outside while twisting the onyx ring on his right hand. Then, doing a complete one-eighty with his mood, perked up with a sly grin and said, "Another reason to go home, seeing if our next para - er - _child_ likes me or you better!"

Chloe raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm going to interpret that as, let's go home so we can have another baby."

Lucifer shrugged and replied, "That's what I said."

Chloe smiled, and their pilot came over the intercom to announce take-off. The vacation was indeed spectacular and just what they needed to celebrate them, but all in all, they needed to get back home. They weren't complete without their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please let me know what you think! There could be some really crazy stuff going on in the next book, so I'd love to hear what you all think about a possible Baby Deckerstar #2. If you love the idea or hate it, please tell me. I'm working on organizing my thoughts, so I will not be hurt either way. 
> 
> Next installment of the Iris series coming soon!


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